Mother Knows Best
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: They say you only get to live once. Well in Mikoto's case, that is wrong. She gets revived thanks to a magical necklace and a shadowy organization. What will she do with her new lease on life? Watch the reactions of the Leaf Village, when Sasuke is no longer the last living Uchiha.
1. Chapter 1

Mother Knows Best

Author's note: I've always felt that Sasuke's parents got way too little screen time. I am basically coming up with backstories from scratch. But please don't take offense if something is not cannon.

To give a vague sense of a time line this would be after the fight with Madara/the War but before the Rookie Nine start getting married and having kids. All reviews welcome. Please don't flame.

Ages are listed according to  .com .

Mikoto Uchiha (Sasuke/Itachi's mother): 35 at time of death and physical age of revival.

Fugaku Uchiha: (Sasuke/Itachi's father) 40 at death.

Sasuke Uchiha: 17.

Kakashi: 31

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for OC's.

Warnings: This is not a religious fanfiction, but there are a few references to Heaven. Sasuke's parents are for all practical purposes, divorced. There WILL be at least two pairings later down the line. There is some swearing, the fanfiction is rated M for a reason and a couple lingerie references. I haven't written anything for a couple years and this is unbetaed, so please overlook any spelling/grammar mistakes. ^_^ I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter One Phoenix

Mikoto's POV

My name is Mikoto Uchiha and I am having a very eventful day to say the last. One moment I'm enjoying the afterlife, the next I feel a strange tugging sensation on my soul. This happened when I was trying to impress upon my ex husband, for the millionth time, the importance of cuddling. It was an old "argument."

"I fail to see the point. You've already clearly enjoyed yourself. Besides, we are shinobi. Cuddling is for animals, small children, and teenagers," Fugaku said.

"It's a way to show you care and it feels nice. For someone from a fire clan, you can be a cold fish sometimes," was my rebuttal.

"You never had a compliant with my...performance," he says smugly and I pondered swatting him.

"The performance no, the encore was somewhat lacking," was my response.

I say ex because technically they say "Until Death Do Us Part," when you take your marriage vows. We died; so we parted. The dynamics of romantic or even sexual relationships in Heaven are a bit eccentric. If you died and your partner ended up in the same location, you and your partner get the option of continuing your union or disolving it.

It's one thing to spend decades with one person, it's another to be in a monogamous relationship for all of eternity or until reassignment. This is why even for couples who renew their marriages, it is highly likely they will enter an "open marriage." This means they agree that they can take other partners. (The rules of what is considered acceptable in an "open marriage," vary greatly and it is best not to think about it too much. It can cause headaches.)

We agreed to disolve it. I was hurt that he offered very little protest. Well he did worry about how Itachi and Sasuke would take the news. I harbor no ill will towards him. I was scarcely more than a bespotted academy student when I first met him. I had just graduated and become a Genin. He was a Chounin that was assigned to watch our squad while our sensai took some well deserved vacation time.

To make a long story short, THAT Uchiha has a very thick skull. It took awhile to get him to notice me as anything other than a Genin with a bloodline. The Elders of our Clan were happy with the match as we were both capable of the Sharingan and thus we were married once I came "of age."

Unfortunately, five years might not sound like a large age difference but in the shinobi world it is. By the time, we were wed, he'd already been a Jonin and in the Uchiha Police Force for a few years. I never did get him to tell me what caused him to "close up," but I know that he experienced some horrible things.

Still I count myself as lucky. I had a faithful and smart husband. He was never abusive. The fact that he wasn't particularly talkative and didn't like cuddling, those were minor concerns. There had been worse marriages.

By the time we died, neither of us were in the mood for romance. Being killed by your son, tends to be a mood killer. Yes, the pun was intended. We were both too busy watching Itachi and Sasuke to care much about renewing our vows.

He was the only man I had ever been with. (Well other than a couple games of Truth or Dare at the Academy during recess. But I don't really count those. They were just very clumsy kisses.) While it probably isn't proper to admit this, once my clan is finally at peace, perhaps I'll pursue my options. Fugaku has hopes to become an arc angel, I doubt he's in a rush to take another lover anytime soon. But he has given a few of the female angels, appraising looks here and there.

Fugaku realized what was going on. Itachi had been revived temporarily recently. He tried to pull me back. Thankfully, there was no pain in this version of the afterlife. If there had been, I think he might have crushed my hand. What can I say? The man has a STRONG grip

"Let go and tell Itachi what happened," I yank myself away. It was as much curiosity as anything else. From what Itachi had told me, this wasn't the same sensation he had experienced when he was revived.

Little known fact, when you've been dead a decade... coming back to life is a bit of a jaring experience. Everything started working at the same time, my heart, my lungs, senses, and so forth. I'd describe it as painful, but it was over so quickly, I didn't really have time to process it.

Quickly, I tried to scan my location. Unfortunately, that effect you have when it was pitch black and someone turns the light on was making it difficult. You know the one, when you have to shut your eyes as you adjust. Annoying as fuck? Yes, that's the one.

"It seems it was a success. Tell me do you know who you are? Can you speak," a masculine voice says.

Thankfully, my eyes finally adjust and I"m able to squint a bit. I don't recognize the man. But it was always important to gather as much information as possible. He looked to be in his 30's, maybe 40's. He had short shaggy dark blue hair and green eyes. He had a stocky build. This was someone who was used to using taijutsu. He had to be a ninja to revive me. Otherwise, I would have pegged him as a foreman on a construction crew.

As I was looking around, I noticed we seemed to be inside a stony structure. He must have made an improvised medical lab. Smart. Probably as a precaution if the revival was unsuccessful or partially successful. There was a bed, all sorts of tubbing, fluids, medications, and... restraints. Dammit, yes I was definitely strapped to the table using some sort of metal chakra surpressant.

I think I shall dub him Dr. Frankenstein. My grandfather made me watch the movies. He loved horror. Anyway, Frankenstein wasn't an amateur. This had clearly been in the works for awhile. Which probably wasn't a good thing for me.

Hmm to be honest or play the damsel in distress? Damsel it is. It has never let me down before. Men could be such suckers.

"Who are you? Where am I," I ask faking confusion and adding a touch of fear to give it some realism.

"Well at least you can speak and are aware of your surroundings. So I consider it a success. Perhaps your memories will come back later. Who I am, doesn't matter. I revived you for a purpose. You see the ninja worwld is growing soft. Your records indicate you are of a more... calm demeanor than the men of your family. It's our belief that Sasuke would be more agreeable to our cause if he knows we brought you back. He is your son," he explains.

Well thank you very much Captain Obvious. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't recognize my son's name? Still an honest answer. I was always good at spotting a liar. I had much practice when Itachi kept trying to steal cookies and Sasuke claimed to have cleaned his room.

After looking around for awhile, I saw an engraved heart on one of the walls. I remembered carving that years ago. It said Mikoto + Fugaku. Ah I remember those days. Fugaku was five years my senior, but I was a girl with a crush. Nobody thought I'd ever win him over. I was too "sweet" for him. It wasn't my age that was the factor. Uchiha women tended to marry young and were often younger than their husbands. It increased the odds of having more children.

But that marking was all I needed to know where I was, I was in one of the old fortresses our family made during Madara's day. We had entrusted ninja cats to watch over it. I wondered if they were still here. If they were, this could be my chance.

"If I have a son, I would like to see him immediately," I answer.

"Don't worry, I'll take you to him. We'll have to be stealthy of course. Can't have you wandering around like that in the Leaf. Someone might recognize you and we don't want to tip our hand too early," he says.

I whistle. If there were any ninja cats left, they should come running. Mentally I sigh in relief when a dozen or so furballs arrive. Thank the Gods and Goddesses, cats are intelligent creatures. They were able to deduce restrained Uchiha = bad = attack that son of a bitch!

It was almost comical. A flurry of white, orange, black, and other fur colors launched themselves at him with their claws out. A few were spitting fire, literally. They were ninja cats afterall.

"What the fucking hell?! Get off me you damn flea bags," Frankenstein says. He tries to shield himself with his arms from the on slaught of claws. The claws he had some success blocking. The fireballs proved more of a challenge. He performs a water jutsu to try to put out the flames; but the cats kept up their barrage. Dogs might be man's best friends, but there is a reason why the crazy cat lady archetype exists. They get the job done.

A white cat makes a dash for his pocket and grabs some sort of key out of it. She or maybe he races over and stuffs the key into the slot of the restraints.

I smile, jump off of the table, and pat the cat's head, "Good kitty. You on the other hand, I can't say the same for."

It was a pity that I didn't have any weapons on me. That would have made things easier. I really didn't want to have to use my chakra network at the moment. There was no telling if it would be active after previously having just been bones before my revival. It looked like I was going to have to settle this the old fashioned way.

"You've got to be kidding me. You sicked fucking cats on me," Dr. Frankenstein says.

"You aren't a cat person, I see. Well if I had known you were a dog person, I would have called the Inuzukas and had their dogs finish you off," I smirk and go flying at him.

Taijutsu would have to do. Lion's Barrage would probably do the trick. I slam my legs into his back. A few umpfs of pain can be heard, but he manages to roll around and grab my leg. He sends me flying into the wall.

I had to admit that did fucking hurt. It had been awhile since I felt pain. Which is why, he was able to advance on me so quickly.

"I really didn't want to have to do this the hard way," he says, as he tries to knock me out.

"Me neither. This is beneath me," but I kick him where NO man wants to be kicked anyway.

"YOU DAMN BITCH," he hisses out as he clutches his bruised equipment.

"Accurate. Cats do Formation 666," I yell as I go racing out.

Formation 666 was named that because our ninja cats would all spit fire at once, making it look like Hell. It was designed to give an Uchiha a chance to escape while the enemy cowered in terror or had to put out the flames.

It was a shame that I hadn't been buried with shoes. Shoes would have been good right about now, as I raced across the ice cold stone floor. I had always been fast. Which was good, there was no telling how long the cats would be able to buy me.

I got out of the fortress, just as a wave of water comes crashing through and empties outside. Looks like he decided some type of major water release. I hope the cats didn't drown.

There was no way around it. He was going to pursue. If I wanted to get out of here, I'd have to kill him.

He comes racing out shortly afterwards. The "good doctor" didn't look too pleased with me. Well I did just kick him in the balls. So there was that.

There was a forest only a few yards away from the fortess. I come from the Leaf Village; so a forest would give me a natural advantage. I might be able to slip away. But if he followed, he'd come back to the Leaf and I didn't want him to go there.

"You know I can't kill you. That defeats the purpose of reviving you. But I can make things VERY unpleasant for you. If you keep this up. I'll let that one go, as you are a walking corpse and everyone gets a freebie. Now get your ass back in the fortress," he says.

"That's not going to happen," I say and make a run for the forest, with him in hot pursuit.

That was alright though. One of my specialities was speed. I'd never have my husband's or sons' raw power when it came to punching, but I was fast. Not Fourth Hokage level of fast of course, but faster than this cretin.

I scale a tree quickly with him just a few feet behind me. But it was enough. I jump onto his back and snap his neck. His body crumples, but he oh so very nicely prevented me from landing on the dirt floor of the forest.

"Odd that I was allowed free movement," I muse to myself.

Really, I resented the idea that it was ONLY the men in my family were hot heads. Where did people think my boys got their temper from? Their father's rage had been a volcano; awesome in its fury but over quickly. Mine was a slow simmer underneath the surface of the ocean and eventually a tsunami would build. Another way to put it, is my husband and Sasuke's anger was aggressive; Itachi and I were more passive aggressive.

The white cat must have escaped drowning because it comes waddling out. The poor thing was soaked and looked like a drown rat. Shooting it a smile, I begin the morbid task searching Dr. Frankenstein's body for anything that might assist in figuring out his true identity or be useful.

First things, first I looked for a headband. I didn't see one. But given he had been attempting a Forbidden Jutsu, that was hardly surprising. Though something wasn't right. I had been fully in control of myself. The Reanimation Justu had one under the control of whoever revived them unless they wished otherwise. He seemed to geniunely believe I might not have my memories. I had not heard of such a side effect from that jutsu. He must have used another method to bring me back.

"I'm coming with you Mistress," the white cat walks over rather determinedly.

I tried not to laugh at the appearance of the soaking wet cat or the formal title. Poor thing had likely just witnessed all its comrades dying. It was best not to add insult to injury.

"That's kind of you. If you do so though, you will have to pretend to be a normal cat for the time being. I think I'll call you Snowball," I answered.

Snowball made a face at the overused name for a white cat. But honestly, coming up with a clever name was on the bottom of my to do list. I had to figure out how much time I had, if this was permenant, and most importantly find Sasuke. Luckily, he didn't decide to bicker over the name.. He gives a somber nod of his furry head, accepting it.

There were a few kunais and senbon needles. Well it was better than nothing. The real prize however was the food rations, some water, and cash. It wasn't a lot of money, but it would certainly pay for a few days stay at a decent inn or maybe a few weeks at a shady one.

"My lady, you may wish to disguise your appearance. I don't think anyone not from the Leaf would recognize you. But that's no reason to take the gamble until we figure out what to do," Snowball says.

The furball had a point. I use a genjutsu to change my hair from midnight black to Kushina red. My eyes were no longer onyx in color but sky blue. Then I start braiding my hair. Hey, I didn't want to give anything away. Even hair texture and length could be a give away if it was a skilled shinobi or even someone who knew and remembered me.

"Well done Mistress. I might recommend a cleaning jutsu. Your clothes are well...dirty enough to attract suspicion," the cat offers.

Oh that was embarrassing. They were caked in dust and dirt. Well nothing a few handseals took care of that. Had I known I was going to die that day, I probably would have worn something more glamorous than my standard "housewife" outfit. A bland apron with a grayish purple simple dress underneath, not the best look. At least it was comfortable and I could pass for a civilian in this.

My only concern for this disguise would be a Hyuga seeing through it, another Genjutsu expert, or perhaps even just a skilled sensory type. But it should do well enough until I could get to the Hokage tower and try to explain.

"MISTRESS LOOK OUT," Snowball yells.

But it was too late. I wince in pain as a kunai goes into my back. It wasn't a vital spot. He wasn't trying to kill me. The "dead Dr. Frankenstein" turned into a log. I can't believe I fell for the oldest trick in the book, a substitution jutsu. I'm far too rusty it seems.

"Red head, huh? Bold choice. Too bad that I saw you transform or I might have not reognized you. By the way, I'm not stupid enough to work alone," Dr. Frankenstein explains.

The genjutsu drops. I would have been able to see through it easily if I had been using my chakra. There had to be about twenty of them. All men, all shinobi, and most disturbingly, all of them were blind. The odds of finding that many shinobi without eyesight were slim. They had been blinded on purpose. Probably as a counter measure against the Sharingan.

"As you've probably figured out by now, these ninjas are specially trained to deal with someone of your... unique talents," he smirks and gestures for them to attack.

There were twenty-one ninjas, if you include Frankenstein against myself and Snowball. I grimanced at this. There was almost no way I could get out of this one without activating my chakra network. For all I knew, this could short circuit my chakra network from sudden overload. Snowball would be able to help some, but not enough.

Thankfully, they seemed more inclined to use brute force instead of jutsus. These goons weren't going for fatal attacks, but to overwhelm me. Two of the larger ones charge at me first. I was able to whisk out of the way at the last second and they crashed into each other. I chuck some of the needles into them to paralyze them for the time being. That was at least two down.

"It's so hard to find good help these days," Dr. Frankenstein facepalms.

"Wouldn't know," I slam my fist into the face of another of the goons. Goon number 14 gets a cheap shot in while, I do so. He smacked me in the back of the head so hard, I saw stars, and fell to my knees. I spit up some blood and can hear the Dr. cussing him out.

My vision was swimming, but I could make out, "IDIOT! I told you that killing her was a no go and that includes breaking her beyond repair. What do you think Sasuke is going to do, if we present an invalid to him?"

"Sorry boss," goon fourteen says and I take this opportunity to slash his femoral artery with one of the kunai's I snatched off the substitution Dr. Frakenstein.

"It's going to take a lot more than a knock on the head, to make me an invalid," I say and flick four kunai into the chests of some other goons.

There was a problem though. That was all of the kunais. I had the needles and taijutsu left at this point and ...

"REEEOWWWWWW," Snowball who was running around like a chicken with his head cut off, scratching the ever living Hell out of anyone he could get his claws on. Cat claws can do some damage, some of those scratches were almost as vicious looking as the ones that would have been caused by kunais.

"Earth prison," goon number ... seven I think yells out.

I manage to do a roll and avoid getting caught up in the jail cell made of earth, almost. One of my legs got stuck inbetween the bars. Growling with rage, I bring my fist to it and break it.

"Dammit," I didn't think that it was broken but it was injured badly enough to slow me down and speed was one of my few advantages in this fight.

"What are you idiots waiting for? GET HER! But for fucksake don't do any permanent damage. Throw your weight around," Frankenstein yells.

The remaining minions all charged at once. It was really all I could do to try to dodge the flurry of punches, kicks, and grabs. There were so many of them, that it left little room for them to move, so that helped a bit. I could already feel several bruises forming from where their hits had connected.

"TAKE THAT YOU MANGY MUTTS," Snowball was trying his best, slashing and biting at them.

I kneed one in the stomach hard, as I came to a decision. I'd have to send up a flare and hope that someone nearby saw it. Using chakra in this situation, was not ideal. There was no way of knowing the effects.

Shit! I narrowly avoided getting pinned down by a kunai. Still it scraped my shoulder pretty badly.

"FIREBALL JUTSU," at least I could fry some of the dumbfuckers, as the flare goes up.

It was a gamble. I didn't know if anyone would be nearby enough to see the flare or if they would be "friendly." This was about a day and a half journey from the Leaf. Though I think there is a village closer by. Maybe someone would see it. Hopefully ninjas. Even blind and some fried to a crisp, these were clearly experienced ninjas. It was doubtful civilians would be able to offer much aid.

Some of my opponents howl in pain and a few jump back to avoid the blaze. But it still had the desired effect. The fire had risen high enough that for a short burst it was above the trees, acting as a beacon. Of course now it was smoke but still. That should get someone's attention.

The ones who weren't hit by the flames get their nerves back, as their injured comrades head off for treatment for some serious burns. Snowball currently was making a chewtoy out of one of their faces, while I used my hands to try to block the brunt of the blows.

"So you can use chakra. I wonder how much. Fascinating that the Izanami's (Japanese Goddess of creation and death) pearls can revive the chakra network as well, as the spirit, and body ," Dr. Frankenstein was approaching.

So that's how he did it. Izanami had a pearl necklace that once every hundred years, could bring back one person to life. It didn't matter how long they had been dead. Of course, it came at a price. It took an enormous amount of chakra to activate the spell. Enough chakra that it would completley drain, whoever said the incantation. A life for a life. This was why it was so rarely used, even if one did find it.

"You learn something new everyday. Too bad that knowledge won't be much use to you in the afterlife," I was about to rush him when, I sensed three chakra signatures approaching FAST.

That temporarily confused my attackers. I managed to get a good punch to one's jaw, while they were looking at the approaching figures. There were three in all. Two men and one woman. The attire of the men was very strange, green spandex with jounin uniforms. But I recognized the headbands as belonging to the Leaf. Their hair was black and both had bushy eyebrows. Hmm I didn't realize that it was possible to be put on the same squad as a relative. They must have been father and son? The other was a woman who had brown hair put in two buns and wore white.

"Saw your distress signal," the older spandex wearing man says.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not right to hit a lady," he flashes a blinding white smile with his thumb up as he charges at Dr. Frankenstein.

The woman takes out two scrolls and smoke appears, she jumps high into the air and the scrolls take the shape of two dragons. She was spinning a barrage of weapons, some of the kunais had explosive tags on them.

"Rising Twin Dragons," she calls out and they start flying. The weapons user had deadly accuracy, as more than a few land on their mark.

Mini spandex boy, wasn't to be outdone though. He yells something that I didn't understand about the power of youth and starts fighting back to back with his father to take out the remaining shinobi.

"Retreat for now," Dr. Frankenstein says to the remaining living goons.

About half of the blind ninjas were still alive. The Dr. grabs them and does a series of handsigns I didn't recognize. It must have been some sort of teleportation jutsu though because they disappear.

Well that was anticlimatic. Though they would be back eventually, I was sure of it. But I suppose I should count my blessings. A kuani in the back, some bruises that were going to be a bitch to deal with tomorrow, and a leg in less than ideal condition.

"Are you alright? Why did those men attack you," the younger youth fantatic asks.

"I should be fine in a day or two. I think I ... startled them," was my vague, but truthful answer.

"Let me see your back, it looks like you got hit. You'll be fine to travel after bandaged up. The village isn't that far. I assume you are a ninja, as you were able to send up a fire flare. Must have lost your headband in the fight. What village do you come from," the older man says.

"Thank you. You are very kind coming to a stranger's aid. I'm originally from the Leaf, but I've been away for a long time," was my response.

Again that was all true. I couldn't exactly say, oh yeah I was a Leaf Shinobi, turned housewife, turned angel, and I'm back from the dead now. Can you take me to my son? Well it was mostly true. I did recall this man now. His name was Might Guy. He used to always compete with Kakashi. Kakashi was one of Minato's students. Minato was my best friend's husband and the Fourth Hokage.

He instructs the rest of his team to look away and goes behind a tree with me. It was nice to see that chivalry wasn't dead. But honestly, the boy looked to be about Sasuke's age. It's not like he was a child. Even with his strange fashion sense and eccentric eyebrows, it was likely he'd seen a naked woman at some point and he was a battle hardened shinobi. I didn't care if someone got a look at my back, while an injury was being taken care of. As for the girl, it wasn't like she'd see anything she didn't also possess.

I undo my apron and slide out of the simple dress. Yes, Guy got an eyeful of my lingerie but it was really the only way to tend to the back injury. Well it seemed at least he was a gentleman. But he was only human, so yes he had to make a smart comment.

"Kunoichi's Secret, you have good taste. I haven't seen this stuff for decades. People don't appreciate the classical lace look as much anymore for some reason," he says as he uses a med kit that all ninja squads had.

It was basically an advanced first aid kit. At some point after one of the wars, finally someone decided hey, maybe we should have medical supplies if we are going to send people on potentially life threatening missions. The stuff, whatever it was, still stung though.

"Mhm. I would probably stop discussing lingerie choices with me, when your son is only a few feet away," I hiss out in annoyance at the sting, more than his conversation.

"Son? I don't have any children. Oh you mean Lee," he bandages me up.

"No, he's my student. He really has taken to the philosophy of youth. Tenten is another of my students. Though they are both full fledged shinobi now. So I probably shouldn't call them my students anymore," he answers and I quickly dress.

"... He's not related to you? But you look nearly identical," I say in shock.

"Funny how things like that happen," he chuckles and we rejoin the others.

Tenten speaks up, "I'm Tenten, that's our Sensai Guy, and of course, Lee. You get used to them after awhile. Who are you?"

"You can call me Suki," I say.

Suki means loved one or eagle eyed. I thought eagle eyed was a nice subtle reference to the Sharingan. I'll call this an inside joke.

"Well Suki, we should head back to the village. Lee make sure to hide the bodies for the time being. We'll have them collected later. See if we can't find anything out about our friends," Guy says.

Lee and Tenten start digging "graves," in the forest ground. Really they were just holes large enough to put the bodies in until they could be retrieved. One could learn a great deal about a ninja from their corpse and about their village, if they had one.

"Don't forget me," Snowball scurries over and climbs onto my shoulder.

"This is Snowball. He is... my ninja cat," I say.

There was no point in pretending he was anything else. They already knew I was a ninja. So the whole civilian cover idea, was not going to work.

Tenten's eyes light up and she heads over. The brunette was having a grand ole time petting Snowball. Well I guess they didn't have a problem with my companion.

After awhile we start off. As I walk alongside my new commrades, or in Guy's case old commrade, I ponder what I'm going to say when I get into the village. There wouldn't be any records of a Suki. I'd have to gamble, if they took me to see the Hokage. They probably would. I mean ten dead bodies and the others had escaped. It'd stupid if they didn't take me to see the her.

I try to remember what little I knew about the Leaf's first female Hokage. I knew that she was blonde, the granddaughter of the First, loved alcohol and gambling, and was fond of Naruto. Well there wasn't much to go on there. Maybe I could get her drunk and then explain? It was worth a shot and I had always been good at holding my liquor...


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thank you Anthologylover, Avesolaris, PenelopeB, NeonElement, and kizukatana for reviewing. Also thank you to those that followed and/or favorited. I made up the pearl necklace revival idea, but I googled Japanese Gods of Death and that is how I got Izanami. All reviews, favorites, follows, and any form of feedback are appreciated. I'm relieved I didn't get flamed. This chapter is something of a bridge chapter. I hope you like it anyway.

Mother Knows Best

Chapter Two: Homecoming

Mikoto's POV

Chapter Two: Homecoming

Mikoto's POV

Myself, Tenten, Guy, and Lee walk into the Leaf Village just as it is getting dark. The air was a bit chilly as autumn was about to give way to winter. The moon was full and stunning against the pitch black starry sky. Somehow I felt this fitting. It had been a full moon on the night of my death and so it was on the day I came back to life.

"It's good to be home," Lee says cheerfully.

"Yeah, I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again," Tenten says as she stretches.

"It'll have to wait until we brief the Hokage on what just happened. That many enemy ninjas working together is nothing to sneeze at," Guy says.

I admit some concern about Dr. Frankenstein's group. But I had just come back from the dead, was able to use chakra, and I had seen what this village was capable of in war time. I almost pitied Frankenstein's Monsters.

"Do you think the Hokage will be upset, at us barging in at this hour," I wondered to them.

"She'll probably be annoyed. But it's an emergency," Guy responds.

The Leaf looked a little different. Many of the buildings were brand new. That did make sense considering everything that happened recently. But I was happy to see that most of them were same location, so it was easy to navigate.

It was late enough that the children and people who attended school or

worked during the day, were at home. Though it was early enough that those who worked the nightshift, hadn't quite started the trek to work. So the streets were largely empty, save for a few ninja guards and a handful of couples enjoying a moonlit stroll.

"Hope, she's a cat person," Snowball chimes in "helpfully."

"I'm sure she likes cats, just fine," Tenten says, as she walks alongside us.

We make our way to the Hokage Tower. I could fess up or keep the cover story going, until we were alone. But it was doubtful they'd let an unidentified shinobi, speak to the Hokage privately.

Guy knocks on the door. After a few rather, tense minutes with an ANBU guard, the guard heads off. It was likely to wake Tsunade. I still think I should have brought sake. I knew how to deal with the Third. I knew how to deal with Minato. This woman, not so much.

A few minutes later, some objects were thrown out of Lady Hokage's bedroom. The ANBU seemed used to this because he deftly dodged. Alright, so she has a temper. I'll have to remember that.

Tsunade comes out. To say the least, she didn't look very happy. Her blonde hair was all over the place and she had thrown on a blue bathrobe, over her night clothes. I have to say for someone who has to be over 50, she aged well. She could pass for 30.

"Alright, whose idea was it to wake me at this hour," she twitches.

"My apologies Lady Hokage, but this woman was attacked by over a dozen shinobi. All of them, but one appeared blind. She has injuries that will need to be looked at. Nothing life threatening, unless they get infected," says Guy.

"That many ninjas against one opponent? Most of them blind? What the Hell is going on? And...who are you," she demands, looking at me.

"It's a long story, Lady Hok-," I didn't get to finish that sentence as a blur rushes into the office.

The blur turned out to be Kakashi. I had watched him a bit in the afterlife. He was my son's sensai, well one of them. And between you and me, I vastly prefer him to Orochimaru. That snake freak takes far too much interest in young boys, particularly Uchiha ones.

Did Obito count as a Sensai? I didn't think so. But he did brainwash Sasuke for awhile. I really did have to watch that. Sasuke was highly intelligent, but I was beginning to wonder if he might be a codependent.

He tended to latch onto an authority figure. No matter how demented they were or how little he trusted them. That was fine when it was his father and brother. But not when it was a creepy Sanin or relative, pretending to be a deceased ancestor.

Maybe I should have him seek therapy. Though I worry he'd burn the therapist into a crisp before any real breakthroughs could be made. Nah, I'd talk to him about it. It was most likely the result of the massacre trauma and needing the praise that Fugaku never really gave him. Oh and believe me, I had given Fugaku MANY tongue lashings for his less than stellar parenting skills.

"Sorry for the intrusion. I thought I sensed Sasuke's chakra. Well I think I did. It felt…calmer than usual. But he isn't due to be back from that mission with Naruto for another week," Kakashi says.

Shit! I should have thought of that. Other than his temper, Sasuke more strongly took after me in looks and even chakra. Kakashi had worked closely with him and being a Jonin probably picked up on my signature the second I entered the village. So much for taking this slow.

"It's fine Kakashi. Looks like half the village is going to show up at this rate. Lee, why don't you brief Kakashi," She places her face in hand, feeling a migraine coming on.

"Over a dozen shinobi, most who were blind, attacked Suki. She's hurt, but not critically. So we thought it best to tell Lady Hokage," Lee sums up quickly.

"Who is Suki," Kakashi says.

"... That would be me. I figured I had to give something to go by. I didn't want to start a panic," I sheepishly raise my hand.

Kakashi looks at me. His one Sharingan activates. Yeah, this wasn't going to end well. He'd know it was a Genjutsu to alter my appearance. He already recognized my chakra as similar to Sasuke's...

"Genjutsu. Sasuke, what the Hell is going on? It's not like you to use Genjutsu to go undercover, let alone to double up. Were you trying out Naruto's Sexy Jutsu," he says and gets closer.

"As much as I like red heads, I have to say that I prefer the brunette. It's remarkable how closely your version resembles your mother," he says conversationally.

"I'll just take that as a compliment and leave it at that. I'm not Sasuke," yeah this was about to get very awkward.

"... Kakashi that was disturbing. Alright who are you," Tsunade looks up at me.

"This is going to sound unbelievable, but I am willing to go to the intelligence division and have my mind probed to confirm that I am telling you the truth, if need be," I start off.

"Impossible things happen every day, in this village," Tenten offers.

"I like her," says Snowball when referring to Tenten.

"Noted. Wait how did that ninja cat get in here? Nevermind, continue Suki or whoever the Hell you are," Tsunade responds.

"Have you heard of Izanami's necklace," I venture rather cautiously.

"It's a myth that says the Goddess of Death created a necklace that could revive a dead person. What of it," Tsunade answers.

"It's apparently not so mythical. I was revived," was my answer as I sheepishly rub the back of my head.

I risk a glance back at Kakashi, "And the reason why my chakra is similar to Sasuke's is because I"m his mother. I came up with Suki because I didn't want to start panic, until I had explained the situation."

You could have heard a pin drop at that moment. Their mouths now resembled gaping fishes. Kakashi looked to his credit, a embarrassed about the Sexy Jutsu crack. Honestly, he should know my son well enough by now, that Hell would freeze over before he'd use that jutsu. He was far too prideful.

I release the Genjutsu. Since they knew the truth, there was no reason to keep the disguise up. That and frankly, I liked being me.

"Do you know who revived you and for what purpose? What about the whereabouts of the necklace," Tsunade was the first to regain her senses.

"I didn't get their names. I don't know where the necklace is. But as it can only be used once a century; it's not an immediate concern. I can probably give a sketch of what their leader looked like. As for their plan, they want to stir up conflict and figured Sasuke would be grateful for bringing me back," I didn't want to say that last part; but I had offered to let them probe my mind.

"Mikoto, I'll patch up your injuries and send you to the Intelligence Unit. You may have missed something about their identities. Guy, Lee, and Tenten, you have my permission to form a team and retrieve the bodies you can. Choose wisely. Kakashi, when I"m done you can escort Mikoto to the Intelligence Unit. Mikoto it is probably best if you disguise yourself again for the time being. How much chakra do you have at your disposal," Tsunade says/asks.

"I'm not sure really. I was able to do this Genjutsu and the flare. I think I could throw up the disguise again," I perform the jutsu and I'm a red head once more.

Lee, Tenten, and Guy flick off to form a team to retrieve the bodies. Tsunade sends Kakashi outside the room and finishes the patch job that Guy had done. Well there were some advantages to having a Kage who knew medical jutsus.

"Have you made attempts to contact Sasuke," she asks as she finishes.

"No, I had to escape them. My plan was to go to the Leaf, speak with you, and find him. But according to Kakashi, he's not due back for another week," I frown as I give this answer.

"It's probably for the best. It gives us a chance to find out more about what is going on. For now, you'll just have to play the role of Suki. I'd rather not see his reaction if the village knew of your revival, before he did," she says.

"He'd probably burn this village to the ground," I couldn't help but smile, knowing his destructive streak was a mile wide.

"And that's if he was feeling generous. We just got him back and in a relatively stable frame of mind. I"d rather not have to have Naruto stop him from trying to destroy the village. Go with Kakashi. I"ll have to come up with a cover story for this week, for you," she says as she dismisses me.

I walk outside to see Kakashi. To be honest, I was enjoying watching him squirm a bit. But I wasn't a cruel person by nature. So I decided to take pity on him.

"About that Sexy Jutsu remark," he starts.

"It's fine. I'm flattered really and don't worry, I won't tell Sasuke. I'd rather not be responsible for you getting castrated by Chidori," I smile.

He sweatdrops and rubs the back of his head, "Yes, he would do that, wouldn't he?"

"Only because I think he likes you. If he didn't, I'm certain he'd be more creative," I couldn't resist running my fingers through my hair as I walk passed him. When my generation was younger and I suppose every generation to a certain extent, children tend to come up with their own version of "victory dances." For Naruto, it used to be "Believe it!" Lee seemed fond of a thumbs up. For me, it was a hairflip.

He follows me. I think Kakashi knew what hair flipping meant. He shakes his head and I THINK he was smiling under that mask. It was a bit hard to tell.

"Do you really think he likes me? Considering everything that happened, I feel like I failed him in a way," he says as he walks alongside me.

"The fact that you aren't dead, means he does... in his own way. Itachi's way of trying to ensure that Sasuke would be the hero and he would be the villain, really messed his mind. I'm hopeful the damage isn't permanent. He was such a sweet child," was my reply as we headed into the Intelligence Unit.

"Sweet has never been an adjective, that I've applied to your son. No offense intended," Kakashi says and we walk inside.

"You didn't know him when he was younger. But no offense taken. Perhaps it'd be best if you explained everything to them," I offer.

He nods and briefs the head of the Unit. His name was Ibiki. I couldn't recall him from my life. But he was normally in charge of torture and interrogation. The look of those scars on his face, let me know it was for good reason. Despite coming here willingly, I felt a bit uneasy.

Kakashi seemed to sense this. He squeezes my hand reassuringly. I'm not sure why this gesture was so comforting. I rather liked the feeling of his gloves against my skin. There was something almost erotic about it. I really needed to get a grip. I was about to get my mind probed and my mind was wondering to the sensuality of clothing texture?!

"Well it's rare to get someone who comes here willingly. But I suppose after coming back from the dead, not much scares you. Come on "Suki," he says in a tone that was somewhere between friendly and sarcastically sadistic.

A few hours later, Ibiki was finally satisfied. Let me just say, even when you voluntarily allow someone into your mind, it is NOT a pleasant experience. Your natural reaction is to try to block, even when you don't intend to do so. If you do manage to bite down this instinct it is still unsettling. It's fortunate that the man knew what he was doing. Otherwise this would have taken far longer and been very traumatic.

"I have to say that everyone's mind is different. But yours is very... layered. Genjutsu user, I take it? Well it doesn't really matter. From what I was able to gather everything checks out. Kakashi you can stop pacing behind the door, I can sense you. I'm not going to break her. I'd rather not deal with her brat's retribution," he says.

"Yes, nothing you can't find out from my records. You call my son a brat again and I will make you believe you are a ballerina for the rest of your life," I hiss at him.

A ballerina usually meant pink or feminine colors. It was amusing to picture the fearsome looking torturer twirling around in a tutu. Anyway, I decide that was a suitable threat against him.

Ibiki gives Kakashi a look like could she really do that? Kakashi shrugs. He smiles and ambles over. The silver haired ninja had an easy way of walking, like he was completely relaxed, without a care in the world.

He offers me his hand and I take it, to help stand up. It was embarrassing, but the mental grilling had drained me more than I thought. I almost collapsed into him. A fact that seemed to amuse my torturer. I shoot him my best Uchiha Death Glare. I'm not sure who invented the Death Glare, but my family perfected it. Thank you very much. That shut him up nicely and I smirk in satisfication.

"Easy there. That technique does a number on anyone. It might be better for you to rest for awhile longer. I shouldn't have pushed you," Kakashi says.

"I'll be fine. But thank you. Where are we going now," I ask.

He shakes his head and mutters something about stubborn Uchihas. Though I could tell he was considering the answer to the question. He hadn't seemed to plan that far ahead.

"Well we can't really take you back to the Uchiha District in your disguise. People will talk. That will get to Sasuke. I'd offer to let you stay with me, but again that would cause people to talk. So a hotel room would seem ideal," he says.

"I haven't any money to pay for a room," was my answer to that gem.

"I'll just use the Hokage credit card. New thing for emergencies, she gives them to a select few," Kakashi explains.

"In that case, it's rather tempting to spring for a fancy suite," I smile and follow him to the hotel.

"While I can understand the sentiment, that would attract unwanted attention. I'm sure you'll be comfortable in a regular room," he says.

"I was only teasing. I wouldn't take advantage of such kindness. Though I do hope the room comes with a nice, hot shower," I say as we approach the hotel.

The hotel was new. Likely made just after the rebuilding started. It was large and white with golden accents. I could almost say it was a castle. I had always loved castles. Fugaku had more than once enjoyed teasing me about my fascination with fairytales and happy endings.

"Good night. I imagine, I'll see you in the morning," I saunter off rather quickly.

"Good night," Kakashi says and flits off, presumably to brief Tsunade.

I head inside to the check in desk. Quickly pulling out the credit card, telling them that I wanted a standard room for the next week.

"Sure thing. Welcome to the Leaf. I don't think I've seen you around before," the clerk says, handing me a key to one of the rooms.

"I've been away for a long time, on a mission," I smile and take the key.

I do try to be honest. But vagueness makes that easier. Shinobi often have to lie on missions. Obviously, Itachi broke the mold when it came deception outside of battle. But I get by. Fugaku, however, is a HORRIBLE liar. I remember one time he forgot our anniversary. To be fair, he had just come back from an S class mission and was looking worse for ware. But he tried to pretend he didn't. I have never seen a Shinobi with a worse poker face.

"Oh well welcome back. Hope you enjoy your stay," he says cheerfully.

"Thank you. I will," was my response as I head off to my room.

It took awhile to find my room. I'd never been in this hotel before because it was built after my death. The hotel was also large. But I was in no hurry. I had all night. Besides, it was fun to people watch and explore. A few of the people I recognized. Some I thought might be related to people I knew. But most of them, were strangers. Looked like the new generation was all grown up.

It must have been clear that I was "lost" because a young woman approached me. She was beautiful in a classical way. She had long dark silky blue hair that reached to her waist with a fair complexion and curves that would be the envy of most Kunoichi. She wore a somewhat bulky lavender and white jacket, with blue pants. The coloration was very soothing, but the jacket itself probably spoke of someone who was modest or shy. When I saw those pale lavender eyes, I knew why. She was a Hyuga. They were a very formal, traditional clan.

Wait...a Hyuga. Dammit! The Byakugan would be able to see through this Genjutsu. If I had put more chakra and effort into it, maybe I could have confused it long enough to sneak passed the corner, but it was too late now.

"You lost? I could show you to your room, if you like. I'm Hinata," she says.

Well her eyes weren't activated, maybe I could still squeak by with my secret identity intact. If I said no to her kind offer, that'd probably raise her suspicions. I'd have to "fake it, till I make it," in this case.

"Thank you, Hinata. That would be wonderful. I'm trying to find room 319," I force a friendly smile.

"Oh that's just down the hall," Hinata walks alongside me.

She was smart not to walk infront of a stranger. Too easy to be stabbed in the back, literally. Hiashi had probably instilled in her a sense of caution. It used to be quite common for other ninjas to attempt to kidnap those with eye bloodline traits, though most died in their foolish attempts. Afterall, eyes could be transplanted. A Hyuga's eyes were probably worth more than this luxurious hotel.

Hinata was kind enough to open the door for me. Actually, as I feel myself getting pushed against the wall, I take that back. That wasn't kindness, that was cleverness.

Her Byakugan was activated now. She meant business. Between her and Kakashi, this whole keeping a secret identity thing was much harder than it was in the comic books. In this situation, I didn't have the luxury of tact. So I guess I'd just have to be blunt.

"Who are you? Why are you disguising yourself," Hinata asks. I could tell from her posture that being so aggressive was unusual for her.

"It's a very long and complicated story. But I mean no harm. Besides, you wouldn't want to harm a family member, even if it is distant. Would you," I ask and lower my Genjutsu, revealing my Sharingan.

Hyugas and Uchihas were distantly related. If you tried to understand how, it would give one a headache. But to simply it we were very distant cousins. We belonged to the same family tree, but were on opposite sides of it. Still I was not above using blood ties, however thin, to prevent a fight.

This confuses the poor girl, enough to let go of me. I can understand why. As far as she knew, Sasuke was the last member of our clan still breathing. So seeing a Sharingan, with the exception of Kakashi, probably was akin to seeing a ghost.

"How? There was a massacre and...," she trails off.

"I was revived. Unlike the Reanimation Jutsu, the method used to bring me back is not temporary. I'm using this disguise until my son returns from his mission and I can explain everything to him. It would be cruel if the entire village knew about my revival, before he did. If you must you can speak with the Hokage to confirm what I said is true. I am Mikoto. Though for the time being, I am going by Suki," I said and marveled at how good I was getting at explaining this bizarre situation.

She blinks. The story did sound rather unbelievable. But she could see the Sharingan with her own two eyes. Not exactly the normal icebreaker for when you first meet someone, "Oh hi, I came back from the dead. Nice weather, we are having."

"I think you are telling the truth. But I'll have to get confirmation from the Lady Hokage. So you are Sasuke's mother? He's going to be so happy and of course Naruto will too," she exclaims.

I knew Naruto to be my son's teammate. The blonde was loyal to the point of absolute stupidity. When someone is in a self destructive spiral like Sasuke had been, it's best to get them out of the way. Still his loyalty was touching. He lacked his father's... refinement though. It might come with age. The boy had bonded with the Kyubbi somehow. The fact he was still alive after everything he'd been through, told me not to underestimate him.

"I hope so. Please do keep this underwraps for at least a little while longer," I plead with her.

"If Lady Tsunade says you are telling the truth, then of course. It's not my secret to tell," she smiles.

"Thank you, Hinata," I say with relief.

She nods and takes off. I felt sorry for the Lady Hokage. She was right. It was unlikely she was getting any sleep tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

Mother Knows Best

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and clicked. It's been very encouraging, not one flamer yet lol. This chapter is going to be told from Kakashi's POV for a change of pace. It will not be a complete copy of chapter two, but a recap from Kakashi's perspective and then we move forward. Oh and I think this is the longest chapter, I've ever written.

Chapter Three: Family Reunion

Kakashi's POV

The day started normally enough. Since the end of the war, peace had been restored and I was enjoying a vacation. Well somewhat of a vacation. Ninjas tended to develop a strange version of hyperactivity. We could be stealthy for hours or even days waiting for the right time to strike. But most ninjas went stir crazy, if you gave us a vacation lasting longer than a week or two.

o about half the time I was helping with reconstruction. Reconstruction was going along swimmingly by the way. You almost would never be able to tell what our village had been through.

Idly, I had been walking around the village, stretching my legs, and enjoying Jirayia's final book. That's when things took a turn for the bizarre. I felt Sasuke's chakra. But it was different somehow. It was calmer. Whereas his was a raging wildfire, this was more like a campfire's. It was the same composition, just a completely different mood. Chakra's tended to have a "signature mood." While the user's mood might vary, there tended to be a pattern. If you knew the person well you could identify their chakra easily. Though it was easier for Sensory Types.

Sasuke and Naruto weren't supposed to be back for another week. The chakra signature was coming from the Hokage Tower. I didn't sense Naruto though. This could only mean one thing, something bad had happened and Sasuke had gone on ahead. Naruto has the edge in raw power, but Sasuke had always been faster. So if something happened, it'd make sense that he'd go on ahead.

And things continued to take a turn for the bizarre, when I arrived. Instead of seeing Sasuke briefing Tsunade, I saw Guy, Lee, Tenten, and a red head I didn't know. But the red head was the source of the Sasuke-ish chakra. My Sharingan showed there was a Genjutsu involved. A red head was the first layer or so I thought. Then there was a brunette underneath.

It struck me as odd that Sasuke would A) do a jutsu to hide his identity. That wasn't his style. B) He'd choose to pretend to be a woman. C) He'd do two layers of it. D) It seemed to be some variation of Naruto's Sexy Jutsu.

I'd always known my students were complete opposites. But this demonstrated it in visual form. Naruto takes the form of a busty blue eyed, tanned, blonde, and didn't alter his age. Naked, save for some tasteful clouds was the way he preferred to do it. Naruto never did anything halfway.

Sasuke seemed to prefer a more subtle approach. An exotic brunette, older than expected. I'd somewhere mid twenties to mid thirties age bracket. She was completely covered, wearing an apron and grayish purple dress underneath. But Sasuke filled out that apron and simple dress very well. His attention to detail was exceptional.

He must have been aiming for naughty housewife theme. That was always a classic, almost up there with the French Maid or cheerleader theme. I'd always preferred French Maid over cheerleader myself. But that's another topic.

Maybe that is why he showed no interest in the girls that chased after him. He might prefer older women. Though I'm a bit concerned his Sexy Jutsu so strongly looks like his mother. Heartbreaking and slightly creepy? Well maybe he was just attracted to dark hair, eyes, and fair skin?

They say men are attracted to women that remind them of their mothers. It was probably nothing to worry about. Actually, I'm kinda relieved. I was starting to think Sasuke was asexual. Some female companionship would do that ninja a world of good.

"Genjutsu. Sasuke, what is going on? It's not like you to use Genjutsu to go undercover, let alone to double up. Were you trying out Naruto's Sexy Jutsu," I say and get closer.

"As much as I like red heads, I have to say that I prefer the brunette. It's remarkable how closely your version resembles your mother," I continued on conversationally.

"I'll just take that as a compliment and leave it at that. I'm not Sasuke," yeah this was about to get very awkward.

"Suki" explains how she was revived. For someone who was brought back from the dead, she seemed remarkably unconcerned about why or possible side effects.

Mikoto, her real name, was in good spirits. She took great delight in teasing me, about the Sexy Jutsu crack. She even went so far as to describe what Sasuke would likely do if he found out about it.

Mikoto was oddly conversational. She tried to comfort me by saying that Sasuke likes me. Afterall he'd "ONLY" cut my "kunai" off with his Chidori, if he found out. The sad thing is, I'm not sure if she was serious or joking.

After awhile, Tsunade gives us our assignments. Guy's team would retrieve the bodies and I was to take Mikoto to the Intelligence Unit. She must have been serious about proving her honesty.

There are very few things that are worse than having your mind probed. A ninja's mind was their most private and sacred place. To have someone sifting through it, was not a pleasant experience.

Ibiki was in charge of the Leaf's Torture and Interrogation Force. He was an intimidating individual. Personally, I believe it has to do with the scars on his face and that grim expression. The man loved his job a little too much to be healthy.

It looked like she was starting to lose her nerve. So I squeezed her hand to offer reassurance. For a ninja, she had very soft hands. Most ninjas had rough hands from harsh field work. Then again, she had been a housewife for several years before her death. That was probably why.

It was extremely difficult to reconcile the idea that these soft, small hands belonged to the woman who gave birth to Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. One was forced to butcher his entire clan and the other, could fight alongside Naruto on equal terms with Madara. Small and soft were not normally words I would apply to anyone from the Uchiha clan.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, that seemed calm her. A few hours later, she was done. I was going to take her away, but she was shakey on her feet. I told her that she should rest. But alas, it ALL Uchihas are stubborn when it comes to showing "weakness."

Well if there was one thing I had learned, it was utterly pointless to argue with an Uchiha. We decide it'd be best if she'd stay at a hotel. I explained about the Hokage credit card and she saunters off.

I'm not sure if she was swaying her hips like that to tease me or not. It might have been her natural walk. It's possible she was doing it to get back at me for the Sexy Jutsu crack.

Still it was nice to see that she had been revived with her sense of humor. I do know one thing, I definitely did not want to be caught admiring the view by Sasuke later on. Oh well I could enjoy it for now. Pity Jirayia wasn't alive anymore, he could have used the inspiration for another book.

After briefing the Hokage, I go to find Guy. He'd know more about the situation. He (well technically his team) was the one who found her.

Fortunately, Guy was always up with the Sun. It was a beautiful day. The sunrise was an ethereal combination of pinks, oranges, reds, and blue. It was also warmer this morning. Which was a good thing, I didn't have anything on but my standard Jonin gear. I really need to look into getting some winter gear.

"Kakashi! Let me buy you a cup of coffee. Looks like you could use it. Did you get any sleep after all the excitement," he says and flashes me a TOO bright smile.

I don't know what sort of toothpaste that man uses. It can't be natural. Nobody has blinding white teeth. But I digress.

"So what happened," I say as I order my coffee, with extra sugar.

"Well we saw a fire S.O.S. Decided to check it out. Found a woman fighting against a lot of ninjas. No ID on the ninjas yet. There weren't headbands or any identifying marks to let us know what village they might be from. They even burned their fingertips. So we can't trace it through fingerprints. Someone went through a lot of trouble to conceal their identity," Guy begins and sips his morning tea.

Guy didn't believe in "enhancements." This included caffeine. Personally, I thought he was insane. Nobody gets up at this hour without some sort of assistance, except him. Then again, considering what he is like when he's not "hyped up," maybe it's a good thing he doesn't indulge in caffeine fixes.

"I see. Well it's amazing her injuries weren't more severe. Anything else," I ask.

"Well she's got a ninja cat with her. She calls him Snowball. He was scratching up the other ninjas and breathing fire at them. She gave us a fake name. Can't say I blame her. You don't just tell people you just met, that you came back from the dead. Though I think I might have met her once or twice before the massacre," he says and is clearly trying to remember if this was indeed the case.

"The Uchihas were well known for their affinity with ninja cats. Not as much as Kiba's clan is with dogs, but still. So that's not surprising," I answer with a chuckle.

"What's so funny," Guy asks.

"The name Suki. It means beloved or eagle eyed. It was a pun about the Sharingan," was my response.

"Oh…clever. Sassy little thing isn't she," he finishes his tea.

"You have no idea. Go on," I flip through the pages of my book idly and say.

"Well I patched up a couple of her injuries. Took her to see Tsunade. That's when you showed up and you know the rest. How do you think Sasuke is going to react to this," Guy wonders.

"It's hard to say really. He might think he's having a psychotic break, dreaming, that someone is playing a trick on him, or worse that an enemy is using a Genjutsu on him. There's the chance he might accept it at face value. But that seems too easy. He's not Naruto. He's too analytical not to be skeptical that someone has come back from the dead. Yes, I know Itachi was briefly brought back. But that was from the Reanimation Jutsu. This is different. It's like she never died at all, " I replied.

"That's right. The Fourth was brought back during the fight with Madara. Kakashi, do you think this is permanent? Wouldn't it be cruel to tell him and then find out she can't stay," he offers in concern.

"According to the legends, it's for good. A life was sacrificed for a life. So she'll live out her natural lifespan here. I just hope he doesn't attack her before everything can be explained to him," I say.

"What are her abilities like anyway? She obviously held her own against them. But she did call for help. So I can't imagine she's at his level," Guy says curiously.

"Very few people are at his and Naruto's level. But I wouldn't necessarily say that. It's possible her chakra network took awhile to kick in or she was worried she might blow out her chakra network, if she used it. I know she was Jonin before retirement. If memory serves, she was well known for Genjutsus. But other than that, I'm drawing a blank. I'm sure it will be in her records," I frown as I try to remember.

"Well if worst comes to worst, maybe she can use that to confuse him long enough, for her to prove she is who she says she is. Assuming they don't kill each other, this should be quite the happy reunion," he smiles.

"Yes, assuming they don't kill each other," I sigh and head off, Guy would pick up the tab because it was his turn.

Well it was a bit later now. I glance at my watch, 10 A.M. I really didn't know if Mikoto was a night owl or an early riser. Either way, I decided I'd try my luck and check on her. If she was anything like Sasuke, it was a dumb idea to leave her alone for too long.

It'd probably be best to make sure she was up first. I summoned Pakkun. He was one of my ninja dogs. Unlike, Kiba's furry friend, Pakkun was fully capable of speech. That made things easier. Granted he was a little rough around the edges. But he was also the least likely to be spooked by talking to a "dead person."

"Kakashi, what do you want? Not like you to summon me this early. Don't tell me the village is under attack again," he starts and looks around to see if that was the case.

I lean down. It was important that we were not overheard. People were now starting to mill about in the streets. So I whispered the following in his ear.

"Don't ask how or why, that will give you a headache. But Mikoto was revived. She's currently staying in the hotel. She's using a Genjutsu that gives her the appearance of a red haired woman with blue eyes. She may or may not still be wearing a braid. I just want you to check to see if she's up," I say.

His eyes widen. Alright, maybe dropping the someone rose from the grave speech on him, without any warning, was overdoing it. In my defense, it was the simplest explanation.

"Mikoto UCHIHA? As in Sasuke's, MOTHER?," He to his credit manages to keep his voice to a whisper.

"Yes, that's the one. He doesn't know yet. We are keeping this under wraps until he can be notified," I explain.

"I've seen some truly weird stuff in my day, but somehow this takes the cake. Alright, I'll go see if she's up," he trots off.

A few minutes later, is when all Hell broke loose. The sounds of a very angry barking dog and a hissing cat, could be heard all throughout the hotel. Pakkun should really know better than to pick on a cat. He's a trained ninja. Really, I would have thought he'd have more control of this at his age.

Sighing I go to rescue the cat. But what I found was Pakkun and a white cat fighting. The cat appeared to be breathing fire at him, as my ninja dog countered. Alright, well a ninja cat might be another story.

Luckily, Mikoto got out of the room and picked up the cat by the scruff of the neck. She gives poor Pakkun one of those trademarked Uchiha Deathglares. Looks like Sasuke inherited that from his mother's side of the family. Fugaku had never really mastered it. He did a stern look better than anyone I knew. But Mikoto and Sasuke had the, "If looks could kill," thing down to an art.

"Sorry, about this. I wasn't sure if you were awake. So I sent Pakkun to check. I forgot about your cat. You know cats and dogs always fight," I begin.

"It's alright. Well if I wasn't awake, only the dead could have slept through that. Was there something you needed," she asks and sets the feline down.

She seemed to have decided if I was here, Pakkun wouldn't attack. Mikoto must have also figured that the furball would behave himself, if she was watching him like a hawk. It was a safe bet.

"Sorry boss. This fleabag is psychotic. He saw me and just jumped me. It was insane," Pakkun tries to defend his honor.

"Nobody goes near my mistress, if I don't know who they are! Considering we were just attacked last night, I think I have every right to be cautious. You damn mangy mutt," hisses the cat.

"Alright, alright Snowball. I thank you for your protection. But it's clear he didn't mean any harm. Now you two should apologize to each other. You are both Leaf ninjas," she scolds them.

"I'm sorry, Snowball," Pakkun sniggers at the name.

"It was an undercover name, meant to make me sound like a civilian cat! What the Hell kind of name is Pakkun? You sound like a damn Pokemon," hisses Snowball.

"Snowball, Pakkun both of you behave. You are causing a scene," Mikoto says.

With the skill of shaming that only a mother can possess, that seemed to do the trick. Both of their ears droop and they gave their "kicked puppy/cute kitten" looks. Anyway the crisis was over for now.

"No. I was just checking to see how you had settled in. I thought we should probably discuss what is going to happen when he returns," I say vaguely in case anyone was listening in.

"Of course. Come in. It's probably best not to have this conversation in the hallway," she opens the door and walks into her hotel room.

It was a nice room. There was a queen sized bed, with white pillows and blankets. The walls were a soothing light blue. There was a lamp on a dresser by the bed and it was well lit otherwise. A connected bathroom and even in a mini kitchen. I noticed it came with a tv and a nice view out the window.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink," she asks.

"No, I already had some coffee earlier. So how are you planning to break the news," I ask.

"Well first, I'm probably going to try to dodge. I think it's likely he'll think I'm an hallucination or an enemy is trying to confuse him. Then, I"ll tell him about Mr. Rexy. That's something that it's unlikely anyone else would know about, save for Itachi and his father of course," she answers.

"Mr. Rexy," I asked as that sounded interesting.

"When Itachi was a child, he had a stuffed T-Rex. Sasuke was very fond of it and always trying to take Mr. Rexy. I guess T-Rex was a little awkward for him to say but Mr. Rexy wasn't," she explained.

I tried really hard to picture a young Sasuke trying to steal a stuffed dinosaur toy from his older brother. I couldn't do it. It was hard to imagine either of them being that innocent.

"Oh I see. Well Mr. Rexy it is," I say somberly.

"I take it you don't have any children. Trust me, such attachments to toys are normal," she smiles in amusement.

"Me? No. I don't. The oldest I've really dealt with them is Genin age. Actually now that I think about it, maybe the stuffed animal phase would have been preferable to the teenage drama," I said to her.

"Yes, they are cute at that age. Though murder on your eardrums. I never had to deal with teenage drama with Itachi. The poor boy was born with an old soul," She replied.

"Assuming the reunion is successful, what are your plans after that," I ventured cautiously.

I had to remember that the Uchihas had been planning a coup. That is why Itachi had to kill them to prevent a civil war in the village. As the wife of the former head of the clan, it was hard to imagine she was completely oblivious to such plotting.

"Well it's a new lease on life. I'm already 35, at least physically. So if I wanted to go back to combat, I wouldn't have many years left in the field anyway. I can't really go back to being a housewife. Though I suppose I could just stay in the Uchiha district. But I'd grow bored. So I'll need something to occupy my time. Given what happened, I think it would do some good for the village to see our clan doing something, not destructive. I think I'll see if the Hokage will let me be a medic," she says thoughtfully.

That answer surprised me. She must have been pondering this last night to come up with such a detailed answer. She was right. Most ninjas didn't make it to 35. If they did, their days were probably numbered in the field. Such an answer meant she'd be under the watchful eye of all the medics. That might ease fears she'd try to start another coup.

"Have you any medical training," I wondered.

"None. But the Sharingan makes learning the jutsus much faster. I've always had good chakra control and really I have nothing but time to do the book learning," she nods.

Somehow I thought the "good chakra control" was an understatement. Likely, she didn't want to show all her cards at this point. Considering the history she had with this village, I couldn't blame her.

"I think that might be best. He'd probably have a heart attack if you were out in the field. Working at the hospital is at least generally a safe, even if sometimes stressful job. It's important work. One of my students is a medic. Learned from Lady Tsunade herself," I say.

"The pink haired one? Strong, prone to beating up Naruto, and obsessed with my son," she says.

It looked like whatever happened in the afterlife, that Mikoto was up to date on the dynamics of my team. That wasn't an entirely unfavorable assessment of Sakura, but she was my student. I felt like I should defend her, even if that wasn't a complete trashing.

"Yes, that's her. She's grown out of that. I think anyway. You know how teenage girls are. She has exceptional chakra control and is becoming a prodigy in the field of medicine. Tsunade took her on as an apprentice. I think it's hard for her. Being on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke. No "normal" ninja could ever compete with that," I say.

"Oh I don't dislike her personally. She's a little too violent towards her teammates for my taste. I am just grateful that Sasuke seems to have no romantic interest in her. I would HOPE that pink haired genes are recessive. But if they aren't, I can't imagine a pink haired Uchiha, especially if they had sons. Can you imagine being a boy with pink hair? I would encourage the child to dye it," she says.

"… You have thought about this a lot, I see," I chuckle with amusement.

"On a few occasions. I'm like any mother really. Grandchildren would be nice," she says cheerfully.

"You'd be quite the young grandmother," I answer.

"Well physically. If you went by chronological age, on the younger side I suppose but within reason. Besides, it's not like I expect him to start having children immediately. He'd have to at least find someone he likes first," she answers.

"Yes, you are probably going to be waiting awhile. I haven't seen him express an interest in, well anyone," was my reply.

"I had noticed that. Well now that the lands are at peace, maybe that will change. I want your personal opinion," she begins.

"He's adjusting better than expected. The village is in one piece. He and Naruto are now only "play fighting," and bickering like they used to. It will take some time for him to make a full recovery. Gods and Goddesses only knows what that boy went through at the Sound," was my answer.

"That's somewhat encouraging. I wonder if I could use this credit card to do some clothing shopping. I'd rather not wear this outfit for a week. I can't go back to my district for my clothes. That would raise suspicions," she says.

"I'm sure the Lady Hokage would overlook it. It's not as if you are buying a full wardrobe. She probably spends more on sake in a week than you will on clothes. Unfortunately, clothing shopping isn't my area of expertise. But I'm sure if you want company, Tenten would probably be happy to escort you," I say.

"HEY! What am I chopped tuna," asks Snowball.

"Human company I should say," I pat his head.

"That's better," Snowball replies as he drapes himself over Mikoto's shoulder.

"I think I'd like that. A girl's day out. I was wondering where was the fourth member of their squad," Mikoto asks.

"Neji died during the war. It's quite tragic. They know they should add another person; but they feel it's a betrayal I guess. They work well with three people. Though I imagine Lady Tsunade will push the issue more, when the wound isn't as fresh," I explain.

"Oh. Yes, that would be difficult. It's horrible when one loses a squad member," she answers sympathetically.

That threatened to bring back a few rather unpleasant memories. Memories that had clawed their way out of the coffin like a vampire, during the War. I didn't want to revisit them again.

"I'll see if she'll meet you at Miss Meme's," I say as I try to steer the conversation away from that direction.

Miss Meme's was a clothing store. It catered to women, both ninja and civilian. It was quite well liked from what little I knew of such places. Anyway, it should be familiar to her. It was rebuilt almost exactly the same after the war. It was still in the same location.

"Alright, I'll get around and meet her there if she can make it. If not, it's nothing that I can't handle myself," she says.

I nod and start off. I had to speak with the Hokage and see if any new developments took place. That and I did not want to see what a "girls day out" entailed.

Six Days Later: Sasuke and Naruto's Return

Mikoto had been back in the Leaf for a week. Her Suki disguise seemed highly effective, with the exception of Hinata. It was touching to see that she trusted me enough to tell me about that incident.

Thank God it was Hinata and not Hiashi. Clans could be enormously competitive. It was one thing for the Uchiha to have one member. It was another to have an experienced Matriarch.

I could see a "Clan War," developing there. Not an actual war of course. Hiashi would be smart enough to realize it'd be nothing short of suicidal to go up against Sasuke. No, more like a series of unspoken "friendly" competitions, trying to one up another.

I head to the Hokage Tower, with Mikoto at my side. She was still using the Genjutsu. We really didn't need to cause a scene yet.

"Are you nervous," I asked her.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I doubt being in the Hokage Tower will stop him, if he doesn't believe me at first, from going on a rampage," she says.

"Yes, Sasuke has never really had much care for destroying public property," I chuckle and we head inside.

"Mikoto it would be best if you concealed yourself for the time being. I'm going to try to prep Sasuke. I"ll make sure Naruto is here. I'd rather not have my tower melted by the **Amaterasu,"** Tsunade sighs.

"Yes, Lady Hokage," I hear Mikoto say as she makes herself scarce.

Sasuke and Naruto walk inside. The raven haired ninja raises an eyebrow. He obviously knew something was up, since I was here. If that didn't do it, the grim expression on Tsunade's face would probably do it. Naruto, thus far seemed oblivious to the atmosphere of the room.

"Sasuke, I have news. You may wish to sit down. Naruto, if he reacts badly, I need you to make sure he doesn't tear down the village," she starts.

"Granny Tsunade, what are you talking about? The bastard isn't like that anymore. He's been normal, well normal for his icy ass for months," Naruto starts.

"What the Hell is going on? Why is Kakashi here and there is no way that loser is going to be able to restrain me anyway," Sasuke says.

"Who are you calling a loser, bastard," Naruto gets in his face, yelling.

"I'm calling you a loser, loser," Sasuke turns his face away from him, a Sasuke diss.

"Sasuke, sit down! This is going to come as a shock. It is good news and I know it will be difficult for you to believe at first. But trust me, we have verified this," Tsunade says.

"Granny Tsunade, stop the cloak and dagger stuff. It's creepy. You are spooking the bastard," Naruto says.

"Idiot. You are the one shaking. What's the news," Sasuke said as he sat down.

Tsunade looks at me, a bit helplessly. Wait, why was this on me? Dammit. Now I had to come up with something quick. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Snowball. AH HA! IDEA!

"Pakkun got into a vicious battle with a ninja cat, today," I begin.

"… You are telling me that you summoned me here, to talk about your dog? Is this some kind of joke," Sasuke twitches.

"I'm not finished, this particular cat, you might recognize," I start.

Snowball comes bounding out. Apparently Snowball was a fairly old cat, about 11 years to be precise. Meaning he had been little more than a kitten, when the massacre happened. But maybe, Sasuke would remember him.

How did I know this you might ask? Well it had been a long week. Tsunade unofficially had me on Uchiha Watch Duty (UWD as we are now calling it .) I believe that Mikoto probably realized what was going on. Thankfully, she didn't protest.

"Hisahi," Sasuke blinks in confusion.

The name meant always with you. A rather sentimental name. Then again, Itachi had apparently named Snowball.

Snowball seems rather pleased at his real name being remembered and bounds over to Sasuke, in the cat version of a hug.

"Sasuke," Naruto calls out, equally baffled.

"I don't get it either. This is Hisahi, he was one of my clan's ninja cats. He was a kitten when I last saw him though. Still th-," Sasuke begins to explain but he was interrupted.

"Wait so the freakout is over the fact you found his pet? I mean that's great and all. Doesn't explain why you'd think that'd make him snap. Even for an ice prince like him, that's a good thing," Naruto starts saying.

Sasuke twitches. It looked like he might have a go at Naruto. Wisely Snowball/Hisahi steps between them and distracts them with the Cuteness Jutsu. (You know the one like that cat Puss in Boots from Shrek with the big eyes?)

"Shut it loser, you'll scare Hisahi with your big, fat mouth," Sasuke says.

"You're the one scaring him. Looking like you are going to kill someone," Naruto counters.

"It's good to see you Master Sasuke. You've grown a lot since you were a kitten. But the big news is, I didn't come alone," Hisahi fluffs Sasuke's legs.

Sasuke blinks. He bends down and pets Hisahi. Here it comes. Hopefully Snowball had some tact and wasn't just going to drop the bomb on him.

"Who did you bring with you," Sasuke asks.

"I want you to tell you Sasuke, that we had Ibiki probe her mind. She really is who she claims to be," Tsunade says.

"Alright, but who is she," he asks and looks at Tsunade.

Mikoto chooses the moment to come out of the shadows. She really was quite stealthy. I'm not sure if I would have noticed that she was here, if I didn't know it.

Sasuke's eyes widen to about three times their normal size. He rarely shows emotion other than smugness, anger, or his typical aloof expression. It was always comical to watch him when he did.

"Mom," he asks in a whisper so light that I almost didn't hear it.

Then his eyes narrow. It was clear that even Ibiki's reassurance wasn't going to be enough to prove it to him. He darts over behind her, faster than you could blink.

He places his sword by her throat and murmurs lowly, "Prove it. Say something only she'd know."

I couldn't really blame him. It wasn't everyday your parent came back from the dead. Well I had my own experience. But that's another story.

She smiles, seeming to have expected this. I had to admit, that I was impressed she didn't flinch at the sword by her throat. She tilts her head up just enough, so she could whisper into his ear.

"Mr. Rexy," she said.

"Whose Mr. Rexy," Naruto wondered outloud.

Sometimes I wondered if Kyubbi hadn't enhanced Naruto's five senses to a certain degree. It was obvious, that he had access to more chakra than anyone should rightfully have, without their body exploding.

"Naruto, don't ask. It's a family thing," I smile behind my mask.

There was no way that Naruto would let Sasuke live that down. That he had once had a stuffed dinosaur and couldn't say T-Rex. I didn't want the moment spoiled.

"It really is you," Sasuke said.

I'd never seen that expression on anyone's face before. It looked like he was torn between disbelief, tears of joy, fearful that she'd disappear at any second, and well pure happiness.

Mikoto smiles and hugs Sasuke. She whispered something in his ear. I couldn't catch It. For once neither did Naruto. She runs her fingers through his hair and rubs his back soothingly.

"Family hug," Snowball yells and races over to join.

Naruto looks at me, Tsunade, and the door. Well I understood that request. It looked like our number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja, was all grown up now. He understood this was a private moment. We slip off. Because afterall, it looked like Sasuke wasn't going to literally burn the place down.

As we were leaving, I was able to catch bits and pieces of what they were saying to each other. I knew it was wrong to listen. But it wasn't like I was trying to.

"I was revived by Izanami's necklace. It's for good. I'm not going anywhere for a long time. I'm sorry but it can only be used once every hundred years, so we can't bring back the others. You've grown so much, you're taller than me now," she says.

"I missed you. But who brought you back? Why?," I could hear Sasuke say as the mother and son continued their embrace.

"I'm not certain. A group of ninjas. They figured you'd be grateful and help them or possibly they wanted to blackmail. Some of their bodies were retrieved, but we can't identify a village yet. If they are foolish enough to come here, I'm certain the Leaf will bring their full might upon them. All that matters now, is that we are together again," she says.

"If they try anything, I'll kill them. Are you alright? That interrogation didn't hurt you, did it? Tsunade said what you said was verified and who knows what is inside that scarred freakshow's house of horrors," Sasuke says with concern.

"No, I'm fine. There were a few minor injuries from the fight, when I escaped. But they are already healed," Mikoto answers.

"I'm going to kill them for hurting you," Sasuke says in a voice that promised revenge.

"Without them, I'd still be dead. Though I'm not opposed to killing them, you will always be my first concern," I hear her say.

"I can't believe you are really back," he says.

"I am. I love you. But there are a few things we are going to have to discuss, my son," the dark haired beauty says.

"Well yeah. I mean your room should still be good. I got back a few months ago. So it's clean. But I can understand if you want a different room or a different house in the district of course. I'll have another key made," Sasuke starts cheerfully.

Now Sasuke being cheerful was something I am not used to. But what happened next was even more bizarre. Though I suppose all mother's fuss over their child's fashion choices.

"It's about that purple belt. It has to go. It just does not go with your outfit. Also I think it is time to start rebuilding our family's name. The world mostly knows us now for the massacre and Madara's return. I think a homecoming party is in order," she smiles.

"… A party? If you think you are up to it. Maybe you should rest first," Sasuke begins with worry.

"Oh I'm fine. I've already had a week of rest. Besides, it will be lots of fun. Besides, I want to see the look on the Council's face when they find out that I'm back," she smirks sadistically.

Sasuke's smile matched his mothers. Oh fuck, this wasn't going to end well. Double the Uchihas. Double the chaos.

"


	4. Chapter 4

Mother Knows Best

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and clicked. All feedback is appreciated. For my Sasuke x Hinata fans, we'll start getting that pairing rolling as well. It won't be an instant romance as we have to solve the Naruto equation. But it WILL happen ;).

Disclaimer: I still own nothing and that includes this dress. For those of you interested, you can private message me and I"ll show you the picture of the dress Hinata wore at the party. I found it on Google Images.

Chapter Four: Let's Give Them Something to Talk About

Sasuke's POV

After the war, I was let back into the Leaf. This was most likely because of the loser's very loud mouth and they were too afraid to let me wander the countryside. By this point, I knew the truth behind my family's death and Itachi's sacrifice. To honor his memory, I decided not to destroy the Leaf.

As much as I still despised the village for what it had done to my clan, it was home. I came back for three reasons. The first was that Naruto was going to chase my ass to Hell and back (again), if I didn't. I could easily picture the idiot in a wheelchair, following me when we were 80. The second, my clan was buried here. If for no other reason, I had an obligation to make sure their graves weren't disturbed. The third being, I don't think any ninja village would want to risk alienating the Leaf by taking me.

The Leaf now trusted me to take missions outside the village, as long as Naruto was with me. It was fucking annoying. But if it came down to being stuck in the village 24/7 or having Naruto "babysit" me, I'd put up with the knucklehead.

Suddenly, the blonde stops. A messenger hawk landed on his hand. Normally, animals didn't like him Naruto. It was a fact that amused me to no end. There was that one ostrich in particular, who really gave Naruto a hard time on a mission. But this was Tsunade's. She probably trained it to recognize Naruto specifically.

"That's weird. Granny Tsunade wants us to report to her as soon as we get back," he says.

"She probably just wants to know how the trade mission went and figures your dumbass was going to head to the ramen shop first," I shrug it off.

"What'd you call me," he yells.

"I called you a dumbass. If the headband fits, wear it," I smirk and start off towards the village.

"You bastard," Naruto huffs and flails, following me.

"Whatever," I say as we stroll through the streets.

The Leaf had mostly rebuilt from after all the conflicts. People still stared at me as I walked by. It was equal parts awe, fear, and distrust. Some of them probably thought I was the second coming of Madara. There was a fraction that was impressed Naruto and I had managed to defeat my insane ancestor. But most of them, I think were willing to tolerate me as long as Naruto was nearby. They figured if I snapped, their savior would deal with it.

As the Sun shined down on us, on surprisingly warm autumn morning, I couldn't help but think some things would never change. The Leaf Village was filled with a lot of sheep. They'd follow the herd.

When Naruto was a kid, they all treated him like garbage because of the Kyubbi (whether they knew that was the reason like the adults or were just following the lead of their parents.) Now that he had saved their asses a few times, he was their hero. So if Naruto told them I was "safe", they'd believe him. Naruto could probably tell them the Earth was flat and they'd believe him.

Still it was nice to be somewhere "normal." Here I could watch kids play on the street. While nowhere was ever completely safe, it seemed unlikely anyone would be foolish enough to attack me here. Walking pass some booths, I noticed one was selling tomatoes. Maybe I"d stop there after we got this report over with.

When we arrived at the Hokage Tower, I immediately noticed something was up. Kakashi was standing next to Tsunade. She had a worried expression. Then the Sanin said something about good news. It was unbelievable, but they had Ibiki verify it. She asked me to sit down and for Naruto to restrain me, if I got out of hand. Well now she had my undivided attention.

Kakashi starts telling us about some fight that his ninja dog got into. I liked animals as well as the next person, but I failed to see why that was a big deal. It happened. Ninja dogs were still dogs afterall. Dogs chased cats. So what?

Hisahi came out. He was a cat, that my family had when I was a kid. I remembered him. Itachi had named him, always with you. I think it was his way of trying to make up for always being away at the Academy or on missions.

"Wait so the freakout is over the fact you found his pet? I mean that's great and all. Doesn't explain why you'd think that'd make him snap. Even for an ice prince like him, that's a good thing," Naruto starts saying.

I twitch. The loser and I get into another verbal spar. At this point, there wasn't really any malice in it. It was just out of habit. If I wasn't bickering with Naruto, it was because we were in the middle of a life or death battle. (And sometimes, even then…)

"It's good to see you Master Sasuke. You've grown a lot since you were a kitten. But the big news is, I didn't come alone," Hisahi fluffs my legs.

That was when she came out of the shadows. I must have been slipping if I didn't sense another person in the room. My eyes widen. It couldn't be.

"Mom," I ask in a voice so light, I almost didn't recognize it.

This had to be a trap. There was no way she was alive again. Maybe it was a Reanimation Jutsu, like had happened in Itachi. If that was the case, I was going to kill the son of the bitch, who wouldn't let her rest in peace.

I get behind her. With a practiced ease, I have my sword at her throat. To her credit, she didn't even flinch. Well if she was a Reanimation, she was already dead. So other it's not like she had anything to lose. Though, there was normally at least an instinctive reaction to having a sword against a vulnerable spot like your neck.

"Prove it. Say something only she'd know," I murmur lowly.

"Mr. Rexy," she said.

Mr. Rexy was a stuffed T-Rex, Itachi had as a kid. He was my favorite toy, even though he belonged to Itachi. There was no way that an enemy ninja would know about that. It was really her!

I move the sword away from her throat. My mother embraces me and rubs my back soothingly, sometimes running her fingers through my hair. It was like I was a child again.

She explained about the necklace. It was permanent! I wasn't going to lose her again! Well at least not till she lived out her natural lifespan this time.

I asked about the interrogation, who revived her, why, and if she was hurt. The vague answer wasn't really enough. But I was going to kill them for hurting her. (Though she reassured me that her injuries had already healed.)

"I can't believe you are really back," I say.

"I am. I love you. But there are a few things we are going to have to discuss, my son," mom replies.

"Well yeah. I mean your room should still be good. I got back a few months ago. So it's clean. But I can understand if you want a different room or a different house in the district. I'll have another key made," I said cheerfully.

"It's about that purple belt. It has to go. It just does not go with your outfit. Also I think it is time to start rebuilding our family's name. The world mostly knows us now for the massacre and Madara's return. I think a homecoming party is in order," she smiles.

Really? My fashion choices? I didn't really give a damn about the belt. She was back. Her idea for a party, made me nervous. She had just come back. I didn't want her to overdo it. I suggested resting. Mom, however, was determined to throw this homecoming celebration. I couldn't deny her and she had a point about making the council squirm.

At some point, Tsunade, Naruto, and Kakashi must have left. It was only me, mother, and Hiashi/Snowball. Mother throws on a Genjutsu. She was a red head with blue eyes.

"It'll be better to wait until the announcement is made. We don't need people panicking because they saw a ghost," she nods at me as we head off.

"It'd be fun to see them lose it, without the Genjutsu," I murmur with a smile.

A smile felt foreign to me. It'd been awhile since I had really smiled. Sure, I smirked sometimes. But a real smile, it'd been years. I felt like a giant weight had been lifted off me.

I noticed some of the villagers giving us strange looks. I was walking with a woman and happy. They probably thought we were together. That was just sick. (Not that they knew that of course, but it is the principle of the thing.) I give them one of my trademark Deathglares and they all soon find something else to do.

"Son, you should smile more and glare less. You'll make more friends that way," I hear her say.

She said it lowly enough that the others wouldn't catch It. There wouldn't have been a point in using a disguise, if she was going to call me her son.

"I don't need friends, I have you and the loser," I say.

It was true. Naruto was insane. How many times, had I nearly killed him? Yet he never gave up on me. For Godsakes, Sakura had at one point and she claimed to be in love with me. I really didn't know about Kakashi. He seemed to have better self preservation instincts than Naruto and Sakura. Granted this was not a high bar. But there was a reason why he'd made it to 30 and at least half of ninjas wouldn't.

"One can always use more friends. You'll see. Maybe you'll make some at the party," she says as she looks around the market.

Mother grabbed a cart and began the process of piling it with all sorts of foods and drinks. It ranged from water to vodka. There was junk food and fancy meals, such as lobster.

"I've been gone so long, I don't know who likes what. So I'll just get a bit of everything," she smiles.

I nod. I couldn't care less about food at this point. My mother was alive, standing next to me, and talking to me. There was something reassuring about having her here. Even if it was something as mundane as shopping, it was like a hole in me was being filled.

"What does Hinata like? I do owe her for keeping my secret," mother muses.

"Hinata? Keeping your secret? Wait, Hinata knew you were back before me," I say and blink.

"Her **Byakugan** saw through my Genjutsu. I didn't really have a choice. I had to explain. She was very understanding. She seems nice," she said.

"Right. Thank the Gods and Goddesses she's not a blabbermouth like Naruto or the entire Five Nations would know you were back by now," I say as I pause.

The truth was, I had no idea what Hinata liked. I barely knew who she was. We went to the Academy together. I don't think we had ever spoken. She was a good student when it came to paper tests. Though she lacked confidence when it came to physical exams. So she ranked in the middle as far as class rank went.

I knew she was extremely shy. She'd blush, stutter, and faint when around Naruto. She'd always been kind from what little I knew of her. I couldn't think of anyone who'd spoken negatively about her, save for Neji. At some point before his death, they must have reconciled. If there was one thing that I could recognize, it was pain and loss. That's what I had seen her on her face, at the War Memorial when she visited him.

Thankfully, she had never been a stalker. *Cough cough* Sakura, Ino, Karin, and others. So she'd never annoyed me. There really hadn't been a reason for me to pay attention to her. I was focused on avenging the clan.

"I'm not sure. We haven't talked much," I said.

"Oh. Shame. Well I'm sure there will be something she likes in here. Hiashi will send at least the main branch members to the gathering. He wouldn't refuse a clan invitation. It'd make him look afraid," mother says with just a hint of smugness?

"You've got a problem with Hiashi," I asked.

"I have a problem with any clan, that enslaves half of their clan. But Hiashi and I go way back," she answers.

Snowball was still draped over his shoulder. He looked rather pleased with himself. Probably because he was getting a free ride.

"Your mother and his twin brother used to play together. Hizashi was always fond of kids. He was six years older than your mother and for some of his first Rookie Genin missions, he watched her. Hiashi caught them playing one day. Hizashi was the Prince Charming and Mikoto was the Cinderella. Well he's never been fond of fantasy or thinking of yourself as "above your station." There was quite a row," Snowball starts.

"He's always had a stick up his ass. I may or may not have set fire to his kimono, while he was still in it," Mother actually whistles.

"You really set fire to his kimono," I couldn't help but try to imagine a preteen Hiashi flailing about trying to put the flames out.

I laughed. I actually laughed. Not the homicidal laugh, that I sometimes gave in battle. No, this was a real one. I know this because immediately everyone's heads turned to us. Why couldn't our village be a village where everyone minded their own business?

Mother smiled at them and simply waved her hand. I guess all the fairytale acting might have actually proved useful. It reminded me of a gesture that the Queen or Princess might make as she passed her subjects by in a carriage. It was a gesture that said, everything is fine. Don't worry.

Ah no more stares or whispers. Silence… bliss. I had to ask her how to do that. Maybe it only worked for women. The gesture was a bit too feminine but if it produced results like that…I wonder if it would work on the loser?

"How'd you do that," I ask as we pay for our many purchases.

The cart was overflowing with food, drinks, and a rather impressive amount of fireworks. Upon second glance there were also table clothes, curtains, fine china, regular silverware and plates, a wide assortment of flowers, and she'd grabbed several different kinds of music. All the way from classical to rock. She was definitely serious about finding something everyone would like.

"Do what," she asks.

"Shut them up. I have been trying to do that my WHOLE life," I said.

"Oh it's the Princess Wave," she smiles.

"The Princess Wave, you're joking," I say in disbelief.

"No. It's different for women who lead clans. We learn all sorts of things. One of the most important lessons is body language. The Princess Wave instills a sense of calm. If the leader looks serene, then the rest of the clan will follow suit. All the female clan heads and those who will become them, learn this. Or at least they did in my day. But it's been around for centuries. I doubt they would have scrapped it in a decade," she says thoughtfully.

"… It's a real thing? That's the official name," I hear myself say.

"Yes, that's the official name. It is very much a real thing. Besides, it works," she says proud of herself.

I couldn't argue with that. But a thought occurred to me. She couldn't just walk home with me. If I knew this idiotic village, when they saw me take a woman to my clan's district the rumor mill would explode.

"Did Tsunade say when everyone was going to know that you were back," I asked.

"She's going to make the announcement in a few hours. Best we be at home when it happens. Not sure how the village will react to be honest. You go on ahead. I'll take the scenic route, so we don't blow my cover," she says to me.

I didn't like the idea of letting her out of my sight. But she was right and she'd been back a week already. Nothing bad had happened to her. Whoever revived her, they weren't in a hurry to attack. They probably didn't want to risk doing so, in a village full of people. Still I couldn't help but feel a bit of unease prickle at the back of my mind. No one brings back someone from the dead and then just forgets about that person. They'd be back.

I head back to the Uchiha District quickly. Most of the buildings, save for my family's house had been abandoned for a decade. It fittingly looked like a ghost town. Well at least our home was clean, as I'd gotten back a few months ago. It'd taken a few clones awhile to drive out all the pests and clear out all the dust to make it inhabitable again. But it had worked.

I could have had the other houses and stores cleaned up. It just seemed wrong to do so. Let them stand as a symbol of the real nature of this village. On other hand, mother was home now. She'd want to restore the District to its former glory.

It didn't take long for mother and Snowball to join me. Snowball, typical cat, was marking everything he could touch. Cats were very territorial. Mother was looking around, she smiles at me. Though I could see in her eyes the state of most of the District, saddened her.

"Well we have a lot of work to do before we can throw the party. Your friend Naruto, he's a master at shadow clones and never seems to run out of energy. Do you think if I bribed him with ramen, he'd help us," she wondered cheerfully.

"There is nothing that loser wouldn't do for ramen," I walk over and hug her.

"Sorry about all this. It just felt wrong to disturb the dead by going into their homes," I say.

"It's alright. I might have done the same were roles reversed. It doesn't matter now. Snowball, go tell Naruto of my offer. There's a nice can of tuna in it for you, if you do," she pets Hisahi.

"TUNA," he darts off.

"… He's as fast as a cheetah when properly motivated," I say.

Mother nods. I make a couple clones. It was far from my favorite jutsu. But it could come in handy at times. Not that I was ever going to tell the idiot that. It took mother, me, and 6 clones to move all the stuff inside.

A few minutes later, Hisahi returns with Naruto. Yeah he still looked a little shell shocked at my mother coming back from the grave thing. But he was getting over it quick. It probably helps that he fought alongside his father against Madara. If anyone was used to parents coming back from the dead, it was him. He looked rather perky at the thought of free ramen.

"Hey, Sasuke your cat said you wanted help cleaning up the place. Oh hey, Sasuke's mom," he says.

"Just Mikoto is fine. But yes, we did need some help. This is going to take awhile without a lot of clones," she shakes her head in amusement.

"And if you try to paint any of our District orange, so help me loser," I growl out.

"Alright Sasuke's m-, I mean Mikoto. Jeez bastard, I wasn't going to paint it orange. But it's so damn gloomy here. Maybe I should. The color might liven it up," he says.

I smack him. Sometimes he just asked for it. "Liven it up," he said that within earshot of my mother who had been dead less than two weeks ago? Were all blondes, this stupid?!

"Owe, what was that for," he yells at me.

"For being an idiot," I say.

"Boys, we have a lot of work to do," mother smiles and makes a couple clones, showing us where all the materials were.

It took hours, even with hundreds of Naruto clones, dozens of me, and a few of mother's. She could have made more, but I didn't want her to risk overexerting herself. It was hard to tell if her chakra network was the same as before.

"Come inside Naruto, the ramen is ready and Sasuke, I made your favorite," she smiles.

"What is the bastard's favorite food anyway," Naruto says.

I twitch. Still I follow mother and the idiot inside. I couldn't resist swatting him in the back of the head. I smile smugly, when he says owe.

"Grilled cheese with tomato soup," she answers.

"… That's something a kid would like. I expected something more stuck up like, caviar or something," the idiot responds.

Yeah, some times, a man has to do what a man has to do. That merited another whack. So WHACK.

"Owe! Jesus, bastard you are so violent. Why can't you be nice like your mom," he asks.

"She's not used to dealing with you. You haven't exceeded her tolerance for stupidity yet," I say smugly as I bite into the sammich.

"He just really likes tomatoes and grilled cheese was the only thing his father could cook without setting the house on fire. So he taught Sasuke," mother chimes in.

"Oh. Guess that makes sense," Naruto says as he practically inhales his ramen.

Mother blinks. She had never seen Naruto eat ramen before. She'd get used to it.

"Yes, that's normal for him. He has no table manners. Don't mind him," I explained.

"Well we'll need to send out invitations. It's important that you get used to doing finishing touches like this Sasuke. Normally, the clan would have people who specialized in such things or your wife would help you. But since there is only the two of us," she says and pulls out a card.

Naruto sniggered, when my mother made the wife comment. I gave him a death glare and looked invitation card. It had a navy blue background, with elegant cursive lettering in a mixture of silver and ruby red lettering. It was fancy, without overdoing it.

"Well that looks pretty cool. So when is the party," Naruto asks.

"Two weeks from now. We have to give people proper notice of course and to allow them to get used to the idea that I'm back," mother answers.

"They look great," I say.

"Thank you. You aren't just saying that to make me happy," she asks.

"No. They look great," was my response and really, I didn't care particularly what the cards looked like as long as they didn't have flowers or glitter on them.

"Good. I'll mail them out immediately. Oh and Sasuke, please do try to socialize. We want to become part of the village again. We don't want a repeat of history. Dance with at least a couple of the girls and speak with a few people, besides Naruto," she smiles.

"…Mother have you MET the women of this village," I grumble.

"Can you even dance bastard," Naruto laughs.

"Of course I can dance. Better than you can. Try not to shatter Sakura's toes," I smirk.

"HEY! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW PERVY SAGE TAUGHT ME HOW TO DANCE," Naruto screams.

"Going to a strip club and watching naked women dance, does not count as an actual dancing lesson," I responded and looked at my nails in a bored fashion.

Mother shakes her head. I could tell she was more amused than angry though. Uh oh, she still looked determined about this socializing thing.

"I'm sure he can dance, preferably with his clothes ON. But please at least try, sweetheart. For me," she kisses my cheek.

Sighing, I nod. Mentally I go through the list of girls in this village. Which ones were least likely to be terrified of me and which ones were least likely to try to molest me on the dance floor? Sakura, Ino, and Karin were ruled out immediately. (My new team moved into the Leaf after the war.) That left Tenten and Hinata off the top of my head. (This is assuming Hinata doesn't faint at the sight of Naruto.) Two technically counted as a couple, right?

Two Weeks Later: Uchiha District

The celebration was in full swing. Somehow, mother had managed to make thousands of flowers bloom, at the end of fall. (This was some sort of Earth Jutsu). The flowers snaked along whatever surface they could find tastefully and came in every color imaginable. She also had crystal lanterns hanging from various cords to light up the night. Most of the party was inside, so there were a few bonfires going. Some guests were inside the main house.

This is how I could tell who was here just for "fun" or because they were curious vs. those who were major players. Mother had already walked off with the Inuzuka, Aburame, Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, and Hyuga clan heads inside the house. I'd go but given my reputation, I might do more harm than good. So I do the next best thing. I send Snowball to spy on them.

I had promised mother, I'd at least try to socialize. Alright. Who would be the least annoying? Shino barely talked so there is one. I'd probably need at least one more, to make it seem like I'd put forth a good effort. Choji, yeah he could work.

I make my way over to one of the many refreshment tables. No surprises there, Choji was chowing down on the barbecue. Well at least, I knew an icebreaker to start this conversation.

"Hey, Choji. How's the food," I ask.

Choji to his credit, though obviously skittish of me, doesn't actually flinch. Score one for his clan. Half of the people here probably would have run away screaming if I had addressed them directly.

"It's great! So you're mom's back. You must be really happy," he says awkwardly.

"You have no idea. I think she went a bit overboard with all the food. But she wanted to make sure everyone had something they'd like, I guess. So heard you got recommended for Jonin," I say.

"Yeah. After the war, pretty much everyone is kinda deserving of it. You know, just for surviving that level of crazy," he says.

"Yeah, I'd say so. They still have me being watched closely, but at least now they are letting me do some missions away from the village," was my response.

Surprisingly, Shino headed over. That was unexpected. He usually tended to stick to the sidelines. I don't think he was shy exactly. He was just very, very quiet. Quiet was good. Maybe I could get away with a simple hi and bye.

"Hey, Shino," I start.

"Sasuke. You remembered my name, unlike Naruto," he says.

I sensed a little bit of bitterness there. The loser must have forgot Shino's name at some point. Well if I could get bonus points for something as small as remembering his name, I'd take it.

"Of course. We graduated the same year. Don't mind Naruto's stupidity. He's a flake outside the battlefield," I say sipping some sake.

"Yes, I have noticed that. I'm happy for you, about getting your mother back. How did it happen," he asks.

This was actually the longest I have ever heard Shino speak. Actually, it might have been the ONLY time, I've heard him speak. I should mark this day on the Calendar as "The Day Shino Talked."

"It's a long story. The important thing is it's for good and she's healthy," I said.

"Looks like Hinata came," Choji says, while munching on some chips.

Naturally, since he mentioned it, I had to look. I almost did a double take. Naruto you really are the stupidest loser to ever walked on the planet. It was likely that Hiashi had told her to dress for the occasion. Her blue hair was down, spilling over her shoulders in a silky waterfall. She wore a sleeveless lavender gown with a modest neckline, that ended a few inches below her knees.

Still it did show more of her cleavage, than I had ever seen before. That damn jacket hid a LOT. I made a mental note to burn that jacket of hers. Not only did it hide her cleavage, but also her curves. The dress also showed off her rather nice legs. Say it with me everyone, Naruto is an idiot.

"I'll be right back. I kinda owe Hinata for keeping my mother's return under wraps until the announcement could be made," I said as I head over to her.

"Hinata," I start to say.

"Sasuke…Hi. I I wanted to tell you that I'm really happy for you and Mikoto," she smiles at me.

Well I was impressed. She managed to get through all that with only a slight stutter. Then again, maybe she grew out of it or only did it around Naruto. She might be beautiful, but she was firmly in love with him. Hmm, I guess I should step into the "best friend," role and him a shove in the right direction. Who knows? Maybe she'd mellow him out.

"Thanks. Look I kinda owe you," I say as I step closer and lean in to whisper into her ear.

"Dance with me. Naruto watches every move I make. He'll notice you then and… it as a bonus, it will probably make several heads explode," I smile.

Her lavender or silver eyes, widened in surprise. That was normal. It was doubtful I'd ever even said so much as hi to her before.  
"I'd like that," she smiles.

"Great," I take her hand, VERY gently, and lead her to where some of the others were dancing.

Hinata had this softness about her. There was a gentleness that I didn't think any ninja could hang onto. I felt like I might break her or corrupt her just by touching her to be honest. My hands had a river of blood on them. (No, not literally, well at least not at the moment.) I doubt she'd ever done any fighting that wasn't training or in self defense, let alone killed anyone.

The song wasn't fast or slow. But it was catchy and rather suggestive. That worked fine for me. Hinata wraps her arms around my neck and we sway together. I twirl her when the choruses go.

Hinata may be shy verbally. But she's very graceful and flexible. Honestly, I think it's a Hyuga thing. So she was a natural dancer. She smiles as she twirls back into me, her back towards my chests and we move to the beat.

Mission accomplished. Everyone was staring at us. That included Naruto. Naruto looked like he was going to have a stroke. It wasn't jealousy. It was pure shock. Well now Hinata DEFINITELY had his attention. As a bonus, that was at least one girl down for my dancing partner. Mother would be pleased.

"Thanks for the dance; you should go talk to him. Mother wants me to try to socialize," I sigh.

"Alr-ight. Thanks for the dance, Sasuke," she smiles and I go and ask Tenten for a dance.

Dancing with Tenten, was nothing like dancing with Hinata. Tenten wasn't a bad dancer. I'd even say she was a good dancer. But she was much more aggressive. She wanted to LEAD. Which, was fine with me. It was only a three minute song anyway.

"It's amazing how fast you two organized this. It looks like it should have taken months," she says and I twirl her.

"We had help. Mother bribed Naruto with ramen. It took a lot of shadow clones, but she was determined. She wants to prove that our clan can be more than just a clan of destruction, I guess," I say and continue dancing.

"Naruto really will do anything for ramen," she shakes her head in amusement.

"You have no idea," I say and the song ends.

She was more chatty than I expected. I think seeing me dance with Hinata, had something to do with it. If I could dance with the innocent, timid Hianta and not have a psychotic break, I was "safe" enough to dance with.

I saw Snowball approaching and smiled. He heads over and fluffs my legs. I reach down and pet him, as I listen to what he found out.

"Well I did what you asked. Your mother is trying to recreate old ties or establish new ones. At this point, it's mostly trying to see who might be agreeable to hearing her out," Hiashi/Snowball says.

"Really, Sasuke… sending poor Snowball to spy on your mother and her guests? Tsk tsk," Kakashi says.

I jump about two feet. Holy fuck. How had he snuck up on me like that? I was always completely aware of my surroundings.

"The man who reads softcore erotica while leading a Genin Squad, is lecturing me on manners," I say and raise an eyebrow.

"Touche. So how is the party going," he smiles cheerfully behind his mask.

"Better than expected. Maybe the loser will finally take the hint and ask Hinata out," I say.

"I wasn't aware that you even knew who Hinata was, much less cared about her love life," Kakashi says.

"She found out about mother being back and kept the secret. I kinda owe her. That and if he gets a girlfriend, maybe he'll be less obsessed with my ass. He's like my fucking shadow," was my answer and I try to look as disinterested as possible. Kakashi was like one of his dogs. He could smell "blood."

"Ah I see. Well it's good that you are starting to make friends. My team is all grown up now," he says in fake proud voice.

"All grown up and fully able to put you in the hospital if you do anything to ruin my mother's party," I say.

"I wouldn't dream of it. Though I am afraid I'll have to inform her about Snowball's little mission," he says somberly.

"Dammit Kakashi," I say.


	5. Chapter 5

Mother Knows Best

Author's note: Thank you for all your feedback. Hinata is a very quiet character. So I think there would be a lot going on in her head. I want to keep her true to her character, but with my own take on her. I'll try to throw in some Kakashi x Mikoto.

Does anyone know if Hinata's mother is alive? I get the impression she is dead. So I'm going to say Hiashi is a widower. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Hitmou is an OC. Let me know if you think he should get a reoccurring part like Snowball/Hisahi. J

Chapter Five: The Sun and The Moon

Hinata's POV

The Leaf was a place where anything could happen. Nine tailed fox trying to destroy it,? Check. An entire clan almost completely wiped out by one of their own? Check. Bringing all the ninja nations and the Samurais together to stop Madara? Check. Oh and sometimes, even the dead were brought back to life. Yes, welcome to the Leaf Village where ANYTHING can happen.

A couple weeks ago, father sent me to the Leaf's grandest hotel. I was to check on the arrangements for my "Introduction." The Introduction was an old tradition, one that was almost sacred by our clan's standards. When a main branch member came of age, there was a large celebration. It was supposed to be a birthday party, but that was mostly an excuse. The real point was to say, "This person is now old enough for marriage."

It was a nerve wracking experience for even the most confident ninja. So that left me… this wasn't going to end well. I'll be lucky to get through this without fainting or at least reverting back to my childhood stutter. (I had almost defeated that habit…)

As I was getting ready to leave, I spotted a red headed woman. She looked lost. So I decided to see if she needed any help. But then I got closer and realized that something was off.

My eyes activated. She wasn't actually a red head at all. She was a brunette. Common sense told me that I should investigate. People didn't go through the trouble of conducting an elaborate Genjutsu like that for no reason. I had to be careful though. I couldn't let her know that I"d seen through it.

I offered to help her find her room. She accepted. Once inside, I pushed her against the wall. The result was not what I expected. This woman claimed to be Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's mother. She also said she'd been brought back from the dead and that Lady Tsunade knew about it.

If this was a cover story, it was the most creative one I'd ever heard. She pleaded with me to keep her return a secret. Sasuke didn't know yet and she didn't think he'd react well to the village knowing before he did. (Which made sense, well as much sense as anything in her tale did anyway.) Eventually, I agreed and left. Though I did make sure to confirm she was telling the truth by speaking with the Lady Hokage. (She was.)

It wasn't long after the official announcement of her return was made, that the invitation came in the mail. It was beautiful, yet simple. It also enraged my father. He was to put it mildly, not happy about the Uchiha clan now having two members.

Before the massacre, they had been considered our equals in "nobility." We were distantly related, if you went back enough generations. So we were family in the loosest sense of the term.

We were family on the opposite ends of the same tree or two sides of the same coin. The Uchihas were known for their fire jutsus, their passion, and going insane. Our clan was well almost icy when you compared us. We relied on our traditions heavily. Clan honor and control of our emotions was of the utmost importance.

Uchihas were affectionate towards each other in public. I once recall Sasuke getting a piggyback ride from Itachi. That would NEVER happen in our family. We expressed our affection with more subtly. Everything about our interactions was an intricate dance that had been perfected over the centuries.

I think that was partially why I was so attracted to Naruto. Naruto always did what he wanted. He was completely unpredictable.

"Another member of the Uchiha clan has been revived. Their matriarch lives and breathes again. She has invited us to a celebration. Honor dictates that we accept. But be on your guard. I do not trust this woman. She was a wicked child and I doubt she's improved much with age. She no longer has her husband around to keep her in check," father says.

` "Yes, father," I bow my head and know better than to argue.

I'd already met her. It was only for a few moments. I didn't notice anything wicked about her. But once my father got an idea into his head, there was no dislodging it.

As long as it didn't come to physical blows, it didn't matter that he seemed to have some sort of weird grudge against Sasuke's mother. Actually on second thought, I'll make sure at the party that father and Sasuke are never alone. If he talks about Mikoto like and Sasuke overhears, our clan will be without a leader. Father is strong, but he's no match for Sasuke in battle. (Despite what he might think.)

"You will need to wear something suitable. This is about our clan's image afterall. It should be respectable, but not so modest that you project yourself as an unwanted old maid," he says as he sips his tea.

"Yes, father. I'll go see what I can find," I say and head off.

Uchiha District: Party

Maybe when father called Mikoto wicked, he meant wicked fast. It was amazing what she had accomplished in the span of only a few weeks. Not only was the entire Uchiha district presentable again, it was beautiful. Thousands of flowers bloomed all over the place in a dazzling display of color. There were crystal lanterns hanging almost everywhere, so the night was well lit. The scent of all kinds of food and the sounds of music could be seen and heard.

I noticed that Sasuke was talking to Choji and Shino. Shino was my teammate. True he wasn't very talkative, but he was always supportive. Besides, Kiba always made sure to fill any awkward silences. Choji, I had spoken to a few times. He was always nice and knew where to get the best food.

It looked like Sasuke was making an effort to be a good host. Probably his mother's influence. From what Naruto had told me about him, Sasuke was a loner by nature.

Wait was he looking at me? Yeah, he was definitely looking at me. He's heading over. Uh oh. Maybe Mikoto told him, I found out early. This might not end well. Must look innocent and not threatening.

"Hinata," he starts to say.

"Sasuke…Hi. I I wanted to tell you that I'm really happy for you and Mikoto," I offer a shy smile at him.

There was something about the way he said my name. It was softer than his usual manner of speaking. Sasuke had always been quiet, especially when compared to his more… extraverted teammates. But when he did speak he had a velvety voice. There was a quality to it, I couldn't really describe. It made my name sound… special somehow.

Thanks. Look I kinda owe you, for not telling the others before I got back," he leans over and whispers into my ear.

"Dance with me. Naruto watches every move I make. He'll notice you then and… it as a bonus, it will probably make several heads explode," he says and smiles.

I've never seen Sasuke smile before. I wish I had a camera on me to capture the moment. Naruto was like the Sun. His happiness was warm and everywhere. Naruto's smile was a near constant. You could always rely on it. There was nothing subtle about it. Sasuke's was more like Moon. It was rarer, elegant, and more subdued. And you knew it wasn't going to last very long.

His smile was only meant to be seen by me, not the entire room. Witnessing this change from the battlefield from now, I thought maybe the New Moon was becoming a Crescent Moon. Eventually, it'd become a Full Moon. For some reason, that thought made me happy.

"I'd like that," I say and smile.

"Great," he says and takes my hand VERY gently.

Gentle was definitely not a word I would have associated with him before. Well given that those hands could demolish entire villages if he wanted, maybe he just thought I was weak. Maybe he was being gentle because he thought he'd accidentally crush my hand? No, there wasn't anything belittling in his expression. If anything now he looked slightly worried. Worried about what, I had no idea.

The song was catchy. I had to try really hard not to blush at the lyrics. Good thing there weren't any children at the party. Actually, I hope father doesn't hear it. He'd probably be outraged.

I muster up the courage to wrap my arms around his neck. I'm really not sure how or when Sasuke learned how to dance. But he was good at it. It was surprising that he'd do something as playful as twirling me.

Secretly, I think he just wanted to be dramatic. Was it my imagination or was he getting some sort of kick out of showing off for the crowd? I'm twirled back into his arms, my back against his chest. There was nothing "naughty" about the position but it was one that suggested a couple. Everyone was staring at us now.

"Thanks for the dance; you should go talk to him. Mother wants me to try to socialize," he sighs.

"Alr-ight. Thanks for the dance, Sasuke," I smile and he goes and asks Tenten for a dance.

It was funny. Tenten was not the shy type at all. I could see her trying to take the lead of the dance. Sasuke actually let her. He seemed relaxed, though he wasn't smiling for her. They were talking about something. I was tempted to see if I could over hear it. But then I saw Naruto. He was coming towards me!

Sasuke had always been considered a prodigy, a genius. (Though Shikamaru was probably smarter, Sasuke acted on his plans… for better or worse.) That point was driven home to me by now. His bit of mischief had been effective. Naruto soon walks up to me.

"Hey, Hinata. That was weird. The bastard was actually dancing. What was that like," he asked.

"It was nice. I think Mikoto being back is good for him. I saw him talking to Shino and Choji," I answer, happy to have Naruto's attention.

"Mikoto? You are on a first name basis with Sasuke's mother? When'd that happen," he answered in confusion.

"It's kinda a funny story," I push my fingers together, in my "safety gesture."

I don't know why it was so hard to talk to Naruto. I'd suddenly be 12 years old again. I had worked so hard to get rid of that stutter and it was almost completely gone around almost everyone else.

"Well I got time. You want to dance? You look pretty in that dress," he said.

If such a thing was possible, I think I would have grown wings and floated to the sky with happiness. Naruto had called me pretty and asked me to dance! He was finally noticing. (I really had to thank Sasuke later.)

"Th-anks. Naruto. I'd love to," I smile.

Whereas Sasuke, was gentle treating me like I was a China Doll that might break, Naruto was the opposite. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dance floor, like a rag doll.

This song was faster than the one before. It was also less suggestive. It was like the music somehow linked up to match my dancing partner. Naruto's dancing was mostly just spinning me around and laughing. It was like a kid playing Ring Around the Rosie. His joyfulness was contagious though and I found myself smiling widely.

When the dance ends, Naruto says, "Hey, I'll go grab us some drinks."

"Thank you, Naruto," I say and watch him head off.

I couldn't help but notice by this time, that Kakashi had arrived. His mask was ever present and he had one of his books in his hand. In true Kakashi fashion, he had arrived late. Kakashi seemed to have his own time zone. One that no one, not even his students could predict.

I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but expressions told it all. Sasuke looked rather pleased with himself in the beginning. He must have gotten a "hit" in during their verbal spar. Kakashi cheerful as always, responded with something. I did hear Sasuke say, "Dammit."

It was odd. Watching them, you could almost believe they were father and son. I think it has something to do with the spikey hair and a certain posture they carry really. That and well Kakashi does have one Sharingan. The fact Kakashi looked so at home in the District added to the feeling. Then again he looked at home everywhere and I remembered he used to have an Uchiha on his squad when he was younger. Maybe he had been here before.

That was when Mikoto came out of the "Main House." At least I think it was the Main House, as it was the only one that people were coming in and out of. She was bold in her fashion choices. It was a black silk kimono with a vibrant red sash and trimming. There were red rose designs on it. The neckline was fairly low, but stopped being short of completely scandalous. It came to her ankles, but I could tell it was designed in a way to flow when she twirled.

Fashion choices were very important to most women from "Noble Clans." Flowers were usually considered to be a peaceful gesture or perhaps shy. That neckline told another story. The neckline hinted at being open to flirtation. The flowing bottom, showed she was feeling playful. But the aggressive colors of red and black, was almost a challenge.

Mikoto was also bold in another way. Many clan women would wait to be asked to dance. She asked the men (the ones who weren't married or were widows anyway. It was considered rather disrespectful to dance with another woman's husband, without asking her first) to dance.

She possessed Sasuke's refined style, but Naruto's joyfulness. She would spin faster and faster, smiling at her partner. She was a whirlwind.

The entire atmosphere changed, when she asked father to dance. I am not sure what happened to them. But there seemed to be some bad blood between them. Still refusing her offer, would have been a major insult. One that I don't think even father wanted to give, given her son's capacity for destruction. So he accepted her offer.

Their movements were graceful, yet cold. It was almost a battle of wills in a way. Kakashi noticed this. I was surprised when he ambled over in that casual way he has and cut in.

Kakashi wasn't a member of one of the clans. I don't think he gave a damn about "Clan Protocol." Besides, wearing his mask and carrying that orange book, it was clear that he wasn't exactly challenging father's honor. Father gave a rather curt nod and wandered off.

The change was almost immediate. I didn't catch what Mikoto said completely. But I did hear the word, "Knight" in there. She seemed amused, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a dance with her.

It was strange, somehow her formal kimono and his jonin attire worked well together. Mikoto seemed in a playful mood as she swayed and spun underneath him. Kakashi said something to her, which caused her to look at Sasuke. Sasuke actually gulped. But whatever it was, was quickly forgotten as she whispered something to Kakashi that caused him to drop his book. (I don't think I"ve ever seen that happen before.)

Naurto came back with the drinks, just as Kakashi actually dipped her. Now THAT got everyone's attention. All eyes were on them.

"Did… Kakashi Sensai really just do that," Naruto asks.

"Yes, he did. I think they are showing off," I smile as I take my drink.

"Do you think he likes her? I mean like THAT? Damn I wonder how the bastard is going to take this," Naruto wonders.

"I'd say they are just friends at this point. You missed him cutting in, when she was dancing with father. I think Kakashi might just be… you know," I play with my hands nervously.

"You think he's messing with your dad," Naruto asks.

"It's possible. I know father doesn't like Mikoto," I answered.

"Do you know why," Naruto asks confused.

"I have no idea. Something to do with her being a wicked child. That could be anything," was my reply.

Sasuke makes his way through the parted towards where they were dancing. At first, I thought he was going to say something to them. What he did next, was shocking. He grabbed Kakashi's fallen book and joined Naruto and I.

"You sneaky bastard. You actually got his book," Naruto says.

"Damn right I did. I want to see what is so fucking fascinating," was Sasuke's reply.

"Jirayia had me proofread some of his stuff. It's some weird shit I tell you. Still weird they'll let us fight in a war, but won't let us go into an adult store," Naruto says.

Sasuke opens the book and flips to a random page. Naruto read it and looks confused. I couldn't help but peek and blushed heavily at what I read.

"I don't get it. What does a Russian Ballerina have to do with anything," Naruto said.

"Idiot. It's a sex position," Sasuke says.

"What kind of name is THAT for a sex position? Wait a minute, how the Hell would YOU know that you asexual bastard," Naruto starts in.

Sasuke swats Naruto in the back of the head for that remark. He shakes his head and mutters something about hopeless losers.

"I was in the Sound for a couple years. They did not care that I was underage. They didn't censor their talk because I happened to be within earshot and it was a small village. I walked in on a few people, a couple times," He mutters the last part quietly and looks away from Naruto.

"Oh sure, accidentally. You are a closet pervert," Naruto says smugly.

"Says the man, who when he was twelve invented the "Sexy Jutsu," Sasuke says rolling his eyes.

"And besides, stop being a dumbass and talking like that by Hinata. I'm sure she doesn't want to hear your stupidity," Sasuke flips a page.

"Hey! That jutsu worked. I wasn't the pervert. They were the perverts, falling for it. Oh and since when do you care about being a gentleman," Naruto yells.

"Hinata did me a big favor and unlike you, she isn't annoying. Maybe if you weren't so damn oblivious you'd realize you could tr-," Sasuke starts to say that Naruto could try those positions in real life, but I cover his mouth.

"Sasuke, I think your mother wants to speak with you. She is heading over," I say a little too cheerfully.

"Try what, you stuck up ice prince," Naruto asks.

Sasuke rolls his mind, "Nevermind. You'll get it eventually or I'll have to have Sakura declare you officially brain dead."

"Sasuke, do not think for one second that I didn't see you take Kakashi's book. Kindly return his property to him immediately," Mikoto starts.

"… I was going to. I just picked it up, so it didn't get lost," Sasuke starts and a halo forms over his head.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you have always been a terrible liar," Mikoto shakes her head in amusement.

"Alright. Here Kakashi," Sasuke chucks the book at his head.

Kakashi catches it though. His ninja reflexes were still excellent. However, Sasuke wasn't going to get let off that easily.

"It's alright Sasuke. I'm not mad. It's perfectly natural for boys your age to be curious. As your former teacher, if you have questions about such things, you can always come to me. Sex Ed is woefully lacking at the Academy," Kakashi says in his "fatherly" voice.

Sasuke's eyes bug out of his head and he twitches. I'd never noticed how funny it is to see Sasuke overreact to anything. This was going to be a grand show.

"You damn pervert! I don't need your help with THAT! I already know about sex," he scoffs.

"Oh really? Well I suppose that is good. We do have a clan to restore. But I do hope that knowledge includes protection if you aren't married. There is pregnancy and diseases that one must consider. I'm not oblivious. I don't expect you to wait until marriage. I just want you to be safe," Mikoto starts.

"… This is not happening. This is not happening," Sasuke says.

"He also sent Snowball to watch your meeting with the Clan heads," Kakashi said.

"Sasuke, I would have told you what was said. Still I guess it's a good thing. I would have done the same thing in your place," Mikoto says and Sasuke looks relieved that "The Talk," was over.

"How'd that go," Kakashi ventures innocently.

"Mixed. Most are still scared or distrustful of Sasuke. But they are also equally impressed by his abilities. They seem to view me as less of a threat. The Aburame, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans are the most open I would say. The Nara clan is understandably skeptical. They have always been a more cautious clan. The Inuzuka clan will be a hard sell. They don't like that you deserted the village. Loyalty is very important to them. Still I think they are swayable or could be moved to the neutral column in the long run. Hiashi has always hated me, but he knows the powerful symbolism such an alliance would have. He is likely going to take awhile to weigh his personal hatred vs. the benefit his clan would receive," Mikoto answered Kakashi.

"That's better than expected really. Then again the party must have made quite the impression," Kakashi said.

Hiashi approaches, "The hour grows late. My clan thanks you for the invitation, but we must retire. Our training regime begins at dawn and being well rested is important," he says.

"Of course. It was a pleasure to have you," I hear Mikoto say.

Father nods and walks over to me, "Come Hinata. It is time to go," he says.

"Yes, father. The party was wonderful. Thank you for inviting us. Good night Mikoto, Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi," I say and bow my head, following him, and the other Main Branch members who had come.

"A pleasure to have you? Was that your version of Fuck you, Hiashi," Sasuke says when father is out of earshot, but I couldn't help but laugh softly when I heard it.

"Sasuke! Such language. As the male head of the clan it is important to project a proper image and that includes manners," Mikoto admonishes.

"You can take that as a yes, Sasuke," Kakashi chuckles.

"KAKASHI! You are not helping," Mikoto exclaims.

"I'm just instructing my student in confusing unspoken rules of Clan Conduct," he smiles and flips through his book.

"And I'm going to introduce your ass, to my high heels, as is proper according to Clan Conduct," Mikoto says.

Kakashi looks at Mikoto's high heels. Yeah those things looked pretty vicious looking. He puts up his hands in a surrendering gesture. Sasuke laughs.

As we were walking home, I had the feeling we were being watched. I activated my eyes. There was a man with emerald green eyes. But when I looked again, he was gone. Maybe he had just wanted to sneak a peek at the party. It was a pretty exclusive guest list.

"Mikoto clearly wants to bring her family back into the fold. I didn't think she could organize a celebration of this magnitude so quickly. Though, I should have anticipated it. She's always tried to goad me. Her brat was unusually social today. Likely her influence," father mutters.

"He's not a brat," the words tumble out of my mouth without thinking.

Father raises an eyebrow, "True. He's far worse than a brat. He's a bomb, waiting to go off. The village is foolish. They think Naruto will make sure it doesn't happen. He can't watch him every second of the day. And Kakashi's unworthy of someone who was nearly considered Hokage. Prancing about like teenager with a married woman," father says.

"… Well technically, I think she's classified as a widow now. Her husband is dead and she's not anymore," I say.

"A fair point. But still, it was completely unprofessional. She was involve din an attempt to overthrow the Leaf and we are supposed to pretend like that didn't happen," was his response.

"If she was going to try to overthrow the Leaf, it would have been a stupid move to allow Ibiki to probe her mind," I say a lot more confidently than I felt.

"She is extremely skilled at Genjutsu. It's possible she evaded him somehow," he says as we reach our clan's home.

I considered protesting. But my father had an extremely thick skull. There was no point to it. Besides, I doubt Sasuke really cared what he thought of him.

It was astounding he already tolerated me disagreeing with him this much already. Ibiki was VERY good at his job. It'd be almost impossible for anyone to hide things from him. The man lived and breathed his job.

Father heads off to do a head count. One boy was missing. I'd never seen him so livid before.

"Hitomu, is missing. Damn boy probably headed to the Uchiha District."

Hitmou meant single dream. He was a branch child. It was his parents dream that someday he'd be a main branch member. (This was possible through marriage or if one won a challenge.)

He was also your typical five year old boy. Hitmou was curious about everything. He'd probably wanted to see the party for himself. I hope father wouldn't be too harsh with him.

"Hinata, come. We have to retrieve him and discipline him. If you are to be clan head one day, you will have to be prepared to deal with such insolence," Father thunders and I wince, as I follow.

When we get there, father soon spots Hitmou. I wince. That vein by his temple was throbbing again. This was going to be brutal.

"It seems Hitmou came to your gathering without my permission," I hear him say to Mikoto.

"Children do have a habit of wandering off, if you don't watch them closely," Mikoto said with a conversational air.

Underneath it though, if listened closely was the following implication. You failed to watch him closely enough. It's your own fault; he snuck off.

"Yes. They also need discipline when they break the rules," I hear him say.

"If you are going to activate that curse seal, I wouldn't if I were you," Sasuke heads over, Sharingan activated.

Hitmou hid behind Mikoto. Some of the other party goers were starting to notice something was up. Father seems to be weighing his options.

"It is the only way children learn. If you let them break the rules without consequences, nothing will stop him from getting into bigger trouble later," Hiashi says.

"Father, we are on their lands," I say.

Somehow I felt emboldened, now that Sasuke was there with his Sharingan activated. Father wouldn't want to risk a fight, with this many people nearby. That and Neji had suffered horribly as a Branch Member. It'd be a dishonor to his memory, not to try to save Hitmou from the brunt of the Curse Mark.

"If you activate that seal, I promise you that you will be the one who leaves here crying. Unlike this child, I can fight back. You are on Uchiha lands. Go ahead and do it. Give me the right to invoke a challenge. I'll be sure to let all the clans know the reason. That you would torture a five year old, for wandering off. I'm sure that would do wonders for your clan's reputation," Sasuke says to father.

Father blinks. He seemed rather startled. It was one thing for Sasuke to threaten to kill him. It was another to threaten his and our clan's entire reputation. The second to father, was worse than death. Sasuke didn't look like he was bluffing.

"It seems there is a bit of Fugaku in you after all. Very well, I won't activate the curse seal this time. He shall have to endure a three day fast, instead," father says.

"And you have a bit of monster in you," Sasuke says and walks over to him.

"If I find out you went back on your word, I'll show you the REAL monster is and Naruto won't save you. He has this thing about people who threaten children," Sasuke hisses and walks off.

I winced at that one. Turning your back on another Clan Head, was the biggest insult you could give them. Father wasn't going to take this well.

"Wouldn't have guessed that. Sasuke has a soft spot for kids," Kakashi chimes in.

"I suggest you leave it at that Hiashi. There's no point in starting a feud over a child wandering off. No permanent harm was done," he smiles.

"I suppose not. Come Hitmou. You've caused enough trouble for one day," he pulls Hitmou behind him.

Naruto walks over to see what all the commotion was about. Sasuke was explaining. I couldn't hear what he was saying. Naruto well he was Naruto. He'd always been louder and I was thankful for this today.

"You did what? Well he should know better than to get into a contest to see who the bigger prick is with you. You are the biggest prick around," Naruto says.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment loser? Asshole was probably overcompensating for his lack of a prick. Even my father wasn't that strict. I have no idea how Hinata hasn't shoved a "Gentle First" into his nuts yet. The woman is a saint really," Sasuke says.

I couldn't help but smile. Trust Sasuke to show his gentle side, by threatening to beat my father. Naruto and Sasuke were basically Gods of the Shinobi world, but they were still teenagers making "kunai jokes." Some things never changed.


	6. Chapter 6

Mother Knows Best

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for all the feedback, it's always appreciated. ^^

 **Sarburo** = Dr. Frankenstein's real name. (In this story, obviously not the horror novel/movies.)

 **Kasai** : Sarburo's faction.

 **Special thanks** to Sadie321 for clearing up what happened to Hinata's mother and for a very kind Guest reviewer who requested third person POV. So I am going to attempt that.

 **Plot Bunnies:** I have a few plot bunnies roaming around. These bunnies have spawned a few paragraphs each. So if interested, feel free to check my profile to see if any have been posted.

 **Warning:** Slight gorey scene at the end. If that offends you, please skip the last section titled **Hyuga Estate 3 A.M. with the Kasai.** Oh and I think next chapter Hinata is due for some more character development ^^.

Chapter Six: Operation Wildfire

Third Person POV

Many ninjas dreamed of peace between the five great nations since their conception. Finally, it seemed that it had been achieved after the ninja world allied against Madara and successfully defeated him. However, as always the seeds of conflict were already sewn and waiting to bloom.

Unbeknownst to many, two ninja factions were forming. The first and by far the largest at the moment, were those who were enjoying the relative peace of the moment. The second were those that knew eventually, old rivalries would heat up once missions started drying off.

Many ninjas were either oblivious to this or didn't like to admit it, but war was very good for business. Without it, the number of high ranking missions would significantly decrease. Experienced Jonin and Chounin would start taking lower level missions. Which meant Genin would have a hard time cutting their teeth and making enough money to get by. This meant less spending money for the ninjas, which in turn would hurt the civilian population economically.

If this was left to fester long enough, a war would come around eventually. But the second fraction of ninjas, wasn't willing to wait that long. Enter Sarburo.

"Still can't believe she got away," he grumbles angrily to himself watching the grand celebration the Uchiha Matriarch had thrown together from a stealthy location.

Sarburo had a simple name and before the war he had a clear path. He'd been rising through the ranks of his ninja village and had been an ANBU Captain.

"It's alright boss. We can still make it work. Besides, how were we supposed to know that there would still be ninja cats there or that she'd send up a distress signal? Let alone that it would be answered," wonders one of Sarburo's loyal foot soldiers.

Sarburo been born into a wealthy family. But as his name meant in Japanese, he was the Third Son. He was the extra, of the extra. His family already had their heir and a "backup." So he was left to pursue whatever he desired. He wanted to be a ninja and he had enrolled in his village's academy, where he excelled.

"I saw the damn cats. I just thought they were strays that moved in. Why did no one brief me about Uchihas and fucking cats," Sarburo asks.

"The operation will take some creativity. Sasuke's hatred receded for the time being. But it's a flame that is easily fanned," says one of the female members of Kasai.

Sarburo watches the party in disgust. Oh for fucksake, there were possibly the two strongest ninjas since Madara and Harshirama, actually acting their age. Gone were the fearsome warriors, replaced by laughing teenagers. He had expected such behavior from Naruto, but Sasuke was supposed to be the easier mark.

"I had wanted to use the honey approach, but vinegar will work," Sarburo says.

"It'd be foolish to attack here. It's too well lit by all these lanterns. All the major clans are gathered. Their guard might be down, but our odds aren't good against this many," says the female.

"We won't attack now. Mikoto is trying to bring the Uchihas back into Leaf's Society. The Hyuga girl that danced with Sasuke and Naruto, she's coming of age. Her Introduction will start. We can leave a little message for our friends. Once his mother feels threatened, that ought to snap him back to reality. Eventually this will cause Naruto and Sasuke to clash. Civil war will bleed into the five nations as ninjas choose sides. Which means our way of life won't die out due to peace," Sarburo explains.

"Hey, Sasuke just snatched one of Kakashi's books," a Kasai says.

"Kara, will you smack this idiot," Sarburo covers his head with his face in disgust.

"Gladly," the woman, known as Kara, smacks the other ninja.

"OWE! What was that for," he says.

"You idiot, you are going to give away our location at this rate. Just shut up," Kara says.

Sarburo was too exasperated to notice that the Hyugas were leaving. Hinata saw him, but he didn't realize this. They flit off for the night to make their plans.

Sasuke and Mikoto After the Party

"I'm proud of you son. You did the impossible. You shut Hiashi up. That was a very effective male version of the Princess Wave," Mikoto says.

"… Thanks," Sasuke says as he hugs his mother, once everyone was gone and they head inside the Main House.

He was glad that his mother was proud of him. It warmed his heart. Though it was still a bit, embarrassing to have his grand "Fuck you, Hiashi" compared to the Princess Wave.

Sasuke starts helping Mikoto clean up at least the inside of the Main House. He'd do some clones tomorrow and take care of the outside. Still something was weighing on his mind.

"Are you and Kakashi a… thing," he asks.

"He's been very kind to me, particularly while you were away on your mission. He amuses me. If you are asking if we are courting, we aren't," Mikoto says as she starts doing dishes.

"Courting, really? Mother what century do you think this is," Sasuke says sarcastically.

Mikoto flicks the wet washcloth at Sasuke. He dodges the incoming water. But then she places her hands on her hips and gives him a serious look.

"You don't want to play the sarcasm game with me. I invented it. But would it bother you if I did seek out the company of someone other than your father," she asks.

"… So you are considering "courting," he says the last word mockingly, as sarcasm was a "safe zone," for our stoic Uchiha.

"I mean in general. Things are different in the afterlife Sasuke. I was going to wait to tell you about your father and I. Wedding vows are "till death do us part." We died," Mikoto beings feeling a bit guilty.

"Were you and father… in the same place? Was he reincarnated ," Sasuke frowns.

"Yes, we were in the same place. No, he wasn't reincarnated. It's one thing to commit to someone for decades in the realm of the living. It's another entirely, to commit for all of eternity. Most married couples if they are reunited, dissolve their marriages completely or have open marriages," Mikoto explains as she works her way through quite a large stack of dishes.

"… Are you trying to tell me that you are a SWINGER," Sasuke asks horrified.

"No, I'm not a swinger. Your father and I are… for lack of a better term, divorced. It was an amiable separation. We still speak and are on courteous terms with each other." she reaches over and caresses his cheek.

"I hope this doesn't upset you. He's a good man. He's just…driven. His professional goals often capture the bulk of his attention and I wasn't content to be an afterthought anymore," she says softly.

"His professional goals? There are JOBS in whatever comes next," Sasuke blinks.

"I probably shouldn't tell you too much about what comes after death. Could you please pass me the soap," she says slyly.

"You can't just say something like that and then ask me to pass the soap," Sasuke exclaims.

"I can and I did. Do you know why I can get away with things like this," she asks in cheerfully.

Sasuke twitches, "Why?"

"Because I'm your mother. No matter how powerful you become, remember I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it," she smiles and kisses his cheek.

"…, I don't even know how to respond to that," Sasuke passes her the soap.

"You don't have to. So I was thinking we could replant the garden," she says.

"Tomatoes," Sasuke asks hopefully.

"As many as you want. You do deserve it after shutting Hiashi up," she says.

The Next Day with Kakashi and Guy at a Bar

Guy orders them a round of drinks. He looked rather pleased with himself. Kakashi knew that look. Oh boy, he was going to need to get completely trashed to deal with whatever Guy was up to.

"So I heard the party was quite…youthful," Guy takes a swig of his vodka.

"A Hyuga child crashed, without Hiashi's permission. Branch member. Hiashi was going to punish the kid by activating the seal. Sasuke stepped in. It was impressive actually. I guess Sasuke does the value of a proportional response after all," was Kakashi's reply.

"Well good. I mean it's good that Sasuke's moral compass is still in there somewhere. Can't believe Hiashi would stoop so low as to trying to hit a kid with THAT. But that wasn't what I was talking about," he orders some ribs.

The bar was a nice bar. Soothing green walls, a blue carpet, decent music, and not too crowded. Guy and Kakashi had been coming here since they first made Jonin.

"What were you talking about then," Kakashi says trying to evade what he thought was coming.

"You and Mikoto, cut quite the rug from what I hear. I suppose she's not married anymore. Probably qualifies as a widow? But really Kakashi, your student's mother?," he teases.

"I'd say widow and he's my FORMER student. That's still irrelevant. It was just dancing. Hiashi was being well Hiashi to her. It is my duty as a gentleman to save any woman from frostbite," he says with great seriousness.

"Frostbite? It wasn't THAT cold," Guy wonders.

"I'm saying, he's an Ice King. The Snow Country is warmer than he is," Kakashi elaborates.

"Oh yeah, true. He just hasn't been the same since his wife died. Not that he was ever Mr. Friendly, but ya know," Guy muses.

"I know. She's expressed some interest in becoming a medic," Kakashi says.

"She told you her plans? See that's what I mean! It's about God damn time, Kakashi. I know you take a few lovers here and there, but you've been going through a dry spell for a longggg time," Guy says.

"We were in the middle of a war," was his response.

"Even before that. How do you think Sasuke will take the fact that you are in lo-," Kakashi covers Guy's loudmouth.

"Guy if you want to keep your ability to reproduce intact, I suggest you not finish that sentence," Kakashi says in a far too cheerful voice, one that promised pain.

Guy nods his head. He was in Tobi mode. He'd be a good boy. He knew that Kakashi would carry out that threat, if he continued. Gentle ribbing was alright, but he didn't want to cross the line. Of course secretly, he was very pleased. Such a reaction, only proved his point. Ah the power of love! So youthful!

The Leaf's Market with Sasuke and Shino

Mikoto asked Sasuke to pick up what would be needed for the garden. So off he went to the market. It was an odd feeling. Instead of the usual mix of awe, fear, and mistrust… most were whispering as he walked passed for a very different set of reasons.

Leave it to the Leaf, to think him dancing with someone was as interesting as a woman being brought back from the dead. Sasuke supposed this was an improvement over the usual though. At least they were no longer looking at him, like he was about to have a psychotic break.

The first snow of the year had fallen on the ground. It wasn't much, just an inch or two. But it was cold enough that he'd chosen to throw on his traveling cloak. The sky was a deep blue and the Sun was shining, which Sasuke thought was the Gods and Goddesses version of a trick. It looked like it should be warm, but it wasn't.

Sasuke was looking at one of the booths that sold "gardening stuff," when Shino started to approach him. He quirks an eyebrow. Sure he had talked to him at the party, but Shino had struck Sasuke as being as social as he was. (That means not at all.) Why was he coming over?

"Sasuke, I have a favor to ask," he says.

That piped Sasuke's interest. What could Shino possibly want from him? Well probably best to hear him out. His mother had encouraged him to try to socialize more and he was from one of the clan's she was trying to win over.

"What's the favor," he asks.

"It's about Hinata. She's having her Introduction soon. I'm sure you know what that is. She'll want to go with Naruto of course. But he's oblivious and even if she musters the courage to ask him… it's not really his type of event. I could take her or Kiba. We are both clansmen. But Kiba is well… the event is more formal than he's used to. I don't really like crowds," he says.

"Meaning Kiba wouldn't be able to resist tearing into Hiashi for being a prick of the highest order and you'd feel uncomfortable. I get it that you are happy someone finally told Hiashi to go fuck himself, but why are you trusting me with your teammate," Sasuke asks.

"You're destructive yes, but you aren't insane. There's always been a reason behind your actions. You have no reason to hurt Hinata. Besides, you seemed to be getting along with her well enough at your clan gathering. That and if you upset her in any way, even Susanoo won't save your ass. I'll have my insects eat you alive, from the INSIDE," he threatens.

"You got guts to threaten me. I wasn't going to anyway. Hinata is one of the few people in this village who isn't," Sasuke starts.

"Terrified, suspicious, or lusting after your ass? Yeah, I know. Don't fuck it up, Uchiha," Shino says.

"You're talkative today," Sasuke says.

"I save my words for when it's important. This is important," Shino says.

"I, Sasuke Uchiha, solemnly swear not to fuck it up," he says with a serious expression.

".. Didn't expect you to have a sense of humor," Shino says.

"It's more likely to happen when my ears aren't bleeding from Naruto running his mouth," Sasuke says and pays for the garden supplies.

A Short Time Later at the Training Grounds

Sasuke went to find Hinata, after a short visit at "Ino's Flower Shop." It was actually owned by her entire family, but since Sasuke didn't really know them to him, it was just Ino's. The girl had been entirely too enthusiastic about him buying a flower. It wasn't like he was planning to propose marriage.

Clan interactions were complicated at the best of times. So even something as simple was flower color, was a big deal. He didn't want to give the impression that he was after lavender Sharingan or red Byackugan eyed children.

His first thought had been yellow roses. Those symbolized friendship. It was a safe choice. But it would likely clash horribly with whatever she was planning to wear. So he dismissed that. (Girls cared about such things. Sasuke didn't.)

Naturally, lavender roses entered his mind. But Sasuke decided the them representing love at first sight, desire, mysticism, enchantment, and proceeding cautiously was not the signal he wanted to send. So he settled on a white rose.

White was a good color. It represented purity, innocence, and humility. Those were definitely Hinata traits. Besides, it'd go with anything.

Sasuke saw Hinata practicing her punches on one of the posts. He smiled, well it was good she was trying to get stronger. Honestly, he thought it was her gentle nature, more than her technique that held her back. Her technique was flawless. (Well from what he knew of the Hyuga fighting style anyway.)

"Hinata," he calls out.

Hinata stops throwing punches and turns around to see who it was. She was surprised to see it was Sasuke. Though she mentally scolded herself. He was a ninja. These were public training grounds.

Sasuke bites his lower lip. Sure, it had been easy to agree to Shino's request. He didn't really mind spending the evening with Hinata. She was nice and it would be fun to annoy the fuck out of Hiashi. But he wasn't really sure how to ask her. Sasuke had never had to "pursue" someone. He was used to being chased and dodging, not doing the chasing.

He didn't know why he suddenly felt a bit nervous. It wasn't like he was really asking her out. If she said no, he hadn't been planning to go in the first place. There was nothing to lose.

He steps forward and hands her the rose, "Would you like to go to your Introduction with me…as friends," Sasuke felt quite proud of himself for getting that out.

He'd managed to get straight to the point. It was honest about his intentions. Oh and it didn't make him look like a complete sap. That was always good.

Hinata looks a bit shocked. She takes the rose, that Sasuke handed her and smiles though. She raises it to her nose and inhales the sweet scent.

"I l-ike that Sasuke. I'm glad you consider me a frien-d," she says.

"Great," Sasuke says and was feeling oddly relieved she said yes and feeling absurdly proud that HE had made her stutter for once and NOT Naruto.

She smiles, "I'll meet you there," she asked him.

"Yeah. I got to go. Mother is waiting on me," he said, marveling at how strange, but good it felt to have someone waiting for him at home.

"Alright," she nods.

Behind the Trees Surrounding the Training Grounds

Kakashi could have sworn he heard a slight giggle and a small clapping sound. Naturally, he followed the sound. He quirks an eyebrow when he notices Mikoto standing behind a tree. So she was the giggler. What on earth could make a 35 year old woman (45 if you count the years after her death) giggle like a child?

The silver haired ninja gets closer and listens. Did Sasuke just ask Hinata out? Well he had thrown in the as friends part. For most boys that would have been a way to try to avoid a potential rejection. With Sasuke, he probably meant it. Still even as friends, that was a big step for the aloof former avenger.

Mikoto looked like she approved of the "not date." Kakashi grins widely behind his mask. He couldn't resist having a little fun at the older Uchiha's expense. He knew that Sasuke was ticklish (Naruto had found that out the HARD way once.) Perhaps that was genetic.

He gets behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. Kakashi proceeds to tickle her. Mikoto squirms and tries to wiggle out of his grasp.

"Kak-ashi! Stop th-at," she laughs and desperately tries to escape his clutches.

"You know you really shouldn't spy on your own son. Tsk tsk. Though he spied on you. Is this some sort of Uchiha thing," he whispers into her ear.

"I have been gone so long. I missed so much. I didn't want to miss this. Now s-top that," she giggles more.

"What are you doing out here anyway," Kakashi asks, not letting up on the tickling.

"Well he w-as gone awhile and I go," she laughs, "wo-rried. Those people who b-rought me," giggles, "back are still out there," Mikoto says.

"A plausible excuse. But now we get to find out if you are faster than Sasuke. He said he's heading home," Kakashi lets go of her.

"Fuck! I'll see you later," Mikoto takes off running.

At the Uchiha District a Few Minutes Later

Luckily for Mikoto, Sasuke walked home. She ran. So she made it home with a few minutes to spare. It was just long enough to compose herself, so she didn't look like she had run like Hell.

"Sorry, it took so long. Ran into Shino and then asked Hinata to her Introduction," Sasuke sets the bag of gardening supplies on the counter.

"You asked Hinata to her Introduction," Mikoto tries to pretend she was surprised and Sasuke seems to buy it.

"Yeah. Shino asked me to ask her. Naruto is oblivious. Kiba's too much of a hot head to attend something so formal. Shino just doesn't like crowds. Besides, you wanted to play nicely with the other kids," he says the last teasingly.

Mikoto mentally goes dammit! It didn't really count as much if someone else told him to ask her. She had heard part about just as friends, but that could have been to take pressure off the shy woman.

"So is it a date," Mikoto asks, feigning ignorance.

"No. She's completely in love with the loser. But like I said he's oblivious and I can't imagine him going to an Introduction anyway," he starts sorting through the things.

"Well I'm proud of you for making new friends," she kisses his cheek and curses up a storm mentally.

If Hinata was interested in Naruto, then this was going to be a very difficult case. Naruto and Sasuke were polar opposites. And she had such high hopes. A gentle, kind girl like Hinata would do wonders to help her son return to a "normal life." The fact that she had a bloodline and it would piss Hiashi off, well that was just icing on the cake.

Sasuke smiles ,"Shino's not too bad. Takes balls to threaten me."

"He threatened you," Mikoto says in outrage.

"It was the obligatory, you hurt my teammate, I hurt you threat. Not like he or his bugs could lay a hand or wing on me anyway," Sasuke says unconcerned.

"Oh… sorta a big brother type of thing," Mikoto muses.

"Something like that I guess. Hinata has a way of bringing out people's protective streaks. You going to the Introduction? Hiashi hates your guts, but he's required to give you an invite if he doesn't want a public feud," Sasuke asks.

"Oh I hadn't really thought about it. I suppose I probably should," was her reply.

"You taking anyone with you," he asks.

"Hmm well I suppose we'll go separately, since you have a date," Mikoto looks at her nails in a bored fashion."

"Mother it is NOT a date. I told you; she's been chasing Naruto's ass for years. He is just really, really oblivious. I think Sakura might have hit him in the head too hard a few times or it's a natural stupidity," Sasuke nods sagely.

"Why do men always insult their best friends," Mikoto wonders.

"Because it is accurate," Sasuke volleys back.

"So you want Hinata to be with Naruto then," she asks.

"Well it'd make her happy. It'd give him something to focus his attention on besides chasing me everywhere. It's a win-win," he says as if he thought this was the most logical thing in the world.

"And how long has Hinata been interested in Naruto," Sasuke's mother questions.

"Years. Goes all the way back to the Academy. Everyone can see it. Well everyone except him," Sasuke shrugs.

"If he hasn't noticed her by now, it seems unlikely that would change," Mikoto responds.

"It's Naruto. Nothing is easy with him. Besides, he'll probably end up with Sakura or Hinata. For his sake, I hope it is Hinata. There's a far lower risk of traumatic brain injury if he does. Sakura finally learned how to fight like a ninja," he says.

"Sakura is your pink haired teammate, right," Mikoto says.

"Yes and I know what you are going to say. As far as I can tell it is naturally that color. I have no idea why she doesn't dye it. How the fuck is she supposed to sneak up on enemy ninjas with that hair," Sasuke answers and asks.

"Women can be very prideful about our hair. How do you feel about your other teammate," Mikoto decides to probe.

She'd prefer Hinata, but she could settle for Sakura. She just hoped to God pink hair was RECESSIVE. Their family had black, brown, or dark gray hair going back centuries. Surely, those genes would win out?

"She's annoying. Less so now than she used to be. At least now she's not completely useless on the battlefield. Tsunade trained her. I think she's treading cautiously now that I'm back. She's afraid of setting me off," he says and the implication was he was happy about this fact.

"So no romantic interest in her," Mikoto asked.

"… Are we really discussing this? No," he answers and decides to turn the tables on his very curious mother.

"So you and father aren't married anymore, right," he asks.

"Yes, that's what it boils down to," she pulls him into a hug.

"It's alright. I'm not a little kid anymore. I love him, but he's…not well there a lot. Is everyone there, wherever you were," he asks.

"Yes. I don't think it's a good idea to give too much away. But we are there and they are happy. Itachi is there too," she says.

"That's good at least," Sasuke said.

"We'll join them one day. Hopefully not for a very long time," she says.

"So you taking Kakashi to the Introduction," he asks.

"Mmm I think the village is scandalized enough for the time being. Besides, I doubt he'd enjoy that sort of formal affair. I could ask Guy to accompany me. He's certainly…. Friendly," she muses.

"…. A little too friendly and loud. Plus I've never seen him in anything other than green spandex and his jonin uniform. I don't think he'd fit the dress code," Sasuke half pleads.

"Fair point. Well there is always Iruka. He's kind and appreciates history, if memory serves. There's certainly a lot of history in an Introduction Ceremony. He's also laid back, which will be good for dealing that situation," Mikoto says.

"… I could live with you taking Iruka," Sasuke says.

He highly doubted his mother would go for the usually soft spoken Chounin. He hadn't been a bad teacher. Iruka would easily blend into the background. He'd offend no one and Sasuke did want to give Hinata a peaceful night.

"Good. I'll ask him then," she smiles and heads outside to start on the garden with Sasuke.

Meanwhile.. At Kurenai's House

"Thank you for agreeing to watch Mirai. I can't leave her here alone, while I investigate leads to find out who revived Mikoto," Kurenai says to Hinata.

"Of course Sensai. Besides, I like watching Mirai," Hinata smiles.

"Thanks again. Oh and I like your rose, it's a nice touch," Kurenai says.

"It's for my Introduction. Sasuke gave it to me," Hinata smiles and picks up Kurenai's daughter, who was still a toddler.

"… Sasuke Uchiha gave you a ROSE," Kurenai asks and blinks.

"Mhm. I think being home and Mikoto being back has helped him a lot," Hinata says.

"I didn't think you were the type to go for the bad boys. Hinata you might be biting off more than you can chew here. I thought you liked Naruto," she says.

Hinata promptly flails and faints from embarrassment. Kurenai shakes her head. She waits for the bluenette to wake up, before heading off for her mission. She'd have to keep a close eye on the situation.

Hyuga Estate 3 A.M. with the Kasai

"Remember we can't be seen by anyone. It's a gamble coming here with their eyes, but it's one we have to take. This should get his rage going again," Sarburo says.

"I got the blood," Kara says and she begins the process of painting on the walls in blood.

When she finished it read, _**The dead should stay dead. This Hyuga won't be the last to lose their head.**_ For good measure, a male member of the Kasai mounted the Hyuga's head who had "donated" the blood for Kara's little artwork on a spike.

"If that doesn't cause chaos in this village and bring Sasuke around, nothing will. Come let's get out of here before we are caught," Sarburo says confidently.


	7. Chapter 7

Mother Knows Best

 **Author's Note:** Thank you for all your feedback. Every review makes my day. For those of you interested, I just posted a new story called **Damn Roses** on my profile.It's my first attempt at a Yaoi. (If you don't like Yaoi, please ignore it lol.) For those interested, I have a picture of Hinata's Introduction gown.

 **Thank you:** This story has reached over 1000 visitors J

Chapter 7: Hinata's Introduction

Sasuke meets Hinata at the entrance to the Introduction. They would descend down a grand staircase. Hinata had done up her hair in an elegant bun and was wearing the white rose in it. She wore a sleeveless gown with a modest neckline. About three quarters of it was golden in color and the bottom was white. It was subtle but the effect was stunning. (Particularly on Hinata's more curvy frame.)

Sasuke notices Hinata's head was down. She was looking at her feet. He knew Hinata was shy. But if she walked like that, she was likely to trip on her way down that damn staircase. He personally blamed Hiashi for her lack of confidence and reminded himself to kick his ass, AFTER the Introduction.

Sasuke tilts her chin up towards him ever so slightly and met her eyes, "I don't want to see you bowing your head to these people ever again. You are worth a thousand of any of them," Sasuke says in a voice that booked no argument, though he offers a small smile.

Hinata hated how easily she blushed. She'd always been a blusher. She wasn't really sure why. It was a bit embarrassing. Ninjas were definitely not supposed to be so easily flustered. She manages a small nod of her head though and smiles back.

"Good," Sasuke takes her hand and they enter the building.

"Please don't let me fall," Hinata whispers quietly to him, when they reach the top of the stairs and could be seen by the people down below.

"Never," Sasuke says and takes her hand.

This was a more firm touch, than the one he had given at the homecoming celebration. Sasuke was trying to make a statement here. Judging by the way hundreds of lavender eyes suddenly locked onto them, mission accomplished.

The young heirs begin their slow descent down the hundreds of steps. Sasuke's grip was firm, but not crushing. With Naruto, Hinata had always been following him. She had always struggled to catch up and get his attention. But Sasuke walked by her side, never going faster or slower than her.

Mikoto was in the lobby, along with hundreds of Hyugas and other guests. The Uchiha Matriarch was standing next to her "date" for the evening Iruka. Iruka lets out a small gasp when he sees Hinata and Sasuke making a rather regal, united descent.

"I've taught them since they were children. I have to say that Sasuke is probably the most unlikely escort that I could have thought of for Hinata," Iruka murmurs to Mikoto.

"Mhm. I know. But she is good for him," Mikoto answers.

"How long have they been… together," Iruka asks.

"He claims he asked her as a friend. Shino wanted him to take Hinata," Mikoto replies.

"That is not how one walks with their friend. That's how one walks with their spouse. If they are just friends, then Kakashi is a monk," Iruka says.

Mikoto couldn't help but laugh at that last comment. She'd chosen well for her escort this evening. Every once in awhile, Iruka would get in a good zinger.

"Thank you for inviting me. I am curious as to why you didn't invite Kakashi though. From what I heard you two were getting on well," Iruka asks.

"If I brought Kakashi, the Hyugas would be uneasy. You get along well with everyone and I suppose we were long overdo for a parent teacher conference," she teases.

All of that was true of course, but not the full reason. Mikoto knew that she was well single. But she'd just been revived. She loved the playful banter with Kakashi and he was certainly attractive, but it was still a big step. She'd only ever been with her former husband.

There was also Sasuke to consider. He was perceptive and had even asked if they were a "thing." She surmised the fact that Sasuke hadn't attacked Kakashi yet, was the closest to "approval" that her son was likely to ever give. But still…

"You're worried about how Sasuke will react," Iruka says.

"That's a big part of it. I can see why you are a teacher, you are very empathetic. I'm sure that he benefited greatly from your instruction," Mikoto says and takes out a small ceremonial fan.

"You are very good at changing the subject and flattery. No wonder Hiashi is so concerned about your return. He's used to being the top gun, when it comes to clan matters," Iruka replies.

"Thank you. It does warm my heart to see the Uchiha symbol worn again, without…well blood drenching it," she says.

"Uchiha symbol? Where," Iruka asks.

"It's on the back of his formal kimono. You can't see it from here yet," she says.

"Oh now you are both just playing with fire," Iruka says.

"Of course, we are a fire clan afterall," she smiles.

"They are holding hands," Iruka says.

"And so they are. Oh how I wish I had brought a camera. I want to capture the looks on their faces," Mikoto looks around.

"You have a bit of a sadistic streak in you," Iruka says.

"What did you think the boys took after their father," Mikoto asks smugly.

Iruka wisely steps a little further away from Mikoto at this question and watches them come to the edge of the stairs. Sasuke had a flair for the dramatic, Iruka had always known this. But usually it was applied to destruction. Today that was not the case. He takes Hinata's hand and holds their hands above their heads, in a Hunger Games styled show of solidarity.

"Yes, he takes after you," Iruka rubs the back of his head, knowing that was basically the "polite" version of showing support to Hinata and flipping off her father.

"Hinata of the Hyuga Main House has come of age. Today we celebrate her birthday. Now if everyone would please proceed to the Grand Hall," says the announcer.

Hinata blushes at Sasuke's rather bold gesture. But she manages not to lower her head, as she walks alongside him. When they entered the Grand Hall, startled gasps were heard.

That's when Hinata witnessed the terrifying transformation. Gone was the "new Sasuke," (or maybe she should say the old Sasuke before the massacre). He read what was written on the wall in blood and saw the head of her fallen clansmen. **The dead should stay dead. This won't be the last Hyuga to lose their head.**

The was an aura of murderous rage around him, that hadn't been there only a moment before. She had to act fast, if she was going to prevent a clan feud and Sasuke from going on a rampage. Only a few days ago, she never would have dreamed she'd be brave (and suicidal) enough to do this. But she slams Sasuke onto the ground, pinning him.

"Sasuke don't do something you'll regret. We don't even know who did it," she says and tries to keep him pinned down.

Hinata knew that it didn't matter how firm a hold she had on him. This was Sasuke. She wasn't delusional enough to think that if he wanted free, he couldn't swatt her off him as easily as a fly. But she had to try.

"Hinata, get off me," Sasuke demands.

"No. I'm not going to let you do something stupid," she snaps.

Sasuke blinks. He wasn't sure what was more shocking. The fact that Hinata actually tackled him, that she wouldn't get off him, or the way she was unabashedly straddling him.

Actually, he was going with the last one. Though it was Hinata. Her concern for a friend seemed to have overridden any worries about modesty.

Hinata was having similar thoughts. She'd actually tackled him. She'd pinned a ninja, who along with Naruto had gone toe to toe with Madara. She must be out of her mind. Though it was his own damn fault! He'd said not to bow her head. She figured this still counted.

"I'll let you up, but only if you promise not to," she starts to say.

"Start a massacre and destroy the village," he asks dryly.

"I was going to say, keep calm. But yes, those would fall under that category," Hinata says determinedly.

"You realize, you wouldn't be able to restrain me, if I wasn't allowing it? You know that you don't actually have me pinned," Sasuke says.

"Doesn't matter. I'm not going to let you throw everything away, without a fight. You are my friend," Hinata says.

Sasuke smiles and gently touches her cheek, "I won't kill anyone until I know who is responsible for this. I'm sorry your Introduction was ruined."

"It wasn't ruined. It was a very nice… five minutes or so," Hinata says.

"You really are one of those glass half full type of people, aren't you," Sasuke muses.

She was trying to help him. Hinata was worried about him. She'd said he was her FRIEND. Well he'd better get out from under her soon. Sasuke had been through A LOT in his young life, but he was still a teenage boy. And well, when a straight teenage boy had a beautiful girl straddling him, certain physical responses couldn't be helped. That didn't mean he was going to sully the purity of his new friendship with Hinata, by letting her notice THAT.

"Yes. Do you promise, you won't fly off the handle," she looks at him, for any signs of dishonesty.

"Not until I get all the facts anyway," Sasuke promises and Hinata got off him.

Mikoto rushes over and soon joins her son's side. Both Uchihas were thinking the same thing. It had happened in the Hyuga lands. Logically, the Hyuga clan would normally be suspect. But there was the severed head of one of their clan members. So that ruled them out. (Unless they were REALLY trying to do a thorough job of covering their tracks. Hyugas had for the most part treated branch members as disposable.)

Hiashi's voice booms over the room, "EVERYONE WHO IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE HYUGA OR UCHIHA CLAN, OUT NOW."

There were some things that you just didn't argue with. Hiashi's thundering voice, was one of them. Dozens of people rush off, trying to get out of there. Plus, the killer could still be in the room. No one wanted to stay.

Iruka gives Mikoto a sympathetic look and gently places his hand on her shoulder, "I am so sorry."

"It will be alright. Thank you my friend. Perhaps you should go notify Lady Tsunade about this," Mikoto says.

Iruka nods and races off. If there was one thing the Chounin was, it was dependable. Mikoto was certain he'd deliver the message to Tsunade.

"I assure you I had nothing to do with this," Hiashi says.

"You'll forgive us if we are skeptical of that claim," says Mikoto.

"Why would I have a member of my own clan slaughtered," Hiashi demands.

"It'd certainly throw people off the trail," Mikoto counters.

"How dare you?! We may have our differences, but none so wide that I would throw away a clansmen's life just to scare you," Hiashi growls.

"Hiashi shut up. The only reason you are still standing is because Hinata made me promise not to start killing, until we figure out who is responsible for this," Sasuke twitches.

There was no way he was going to let the Hyuga Patriarch speak to his mother like that. Normally, Sasuke would cut him some slack. A family member had been killed. But he could see the seal on that Hyuga's head. They'd been a branch member. He wasn't even sure if Hiashi would mourn them.

She would though. Hinata was different than her father. Sasuke figured Hinata must have taken after her mother. He saw no resemblance between Hiashi and Hinata.

"Are you threatening me, you insolent whelp," Hiashi glares daggers at Sasuke.

"It's not a threat. It's a promise. If I find out you had anything to do with this, I will kill you," Sasuke says.

"SASUKE! FATHER! Stop this! This is what the killer wants. They want us to be fighting. It makes us easier targets," Hinata says.

Sasuke mentally kicks himself. He'd promised her that he wouldn't go on a rampage. He was many things. A liar wasn't one of them. That and for some reason, it hurt him, to know that he was the one hurting her. Guilt wasn't an emotion he felt often, but when he did… boy was it a bitch.

He offers her an apologetic smile. It was a small one. He hadn't meant anyone else to see it. Hiashi did though. For the moment, the older ninja kept this troubling development to himself. He had a dead clan member to deal with. That took priority over whatever bizarre hold the Uchiha was starting to have over his daughter for now. He'd deal with it later.

"Sorry Hinata," He murmurs lowly enough that only she could hear.

"I've already sent Iruka to alert the Lady Hokage about the situation," Mikoto says.

"That's the first helpful thing, you've done all night," Hiashi quips.

Sasuke twitches, "Don't push me. I won't tolerate you disrespecting my mother."

"Father please," Hinata pleads.

"Very well. This is not productive in any case," Hiashi says.

A Few Minutes Later

Kakashi and Tsunade arrive. Tsunade walks over to the wall and starts taking pictures for the Intelligence Unit. Kakashi steps between Sasuke and Hiashi. He recognized that slight twitching Sasuke was exhibiting. It was the same thing he did before, he had a go at Naruto. The Leaf did not need two feuding Clan Patriarchs.

"Well someone is definitely threatening or at least trying to scare everyone. I think that it's someone who wants a fight between the Hyugas and Uchihas. Why else make this reference AND kill a Hyuga? If it was merely about Mikoto being revived, there was no reason to kill a Hyuga," Kakashi says.

"That or someone who wants us to think that," Sasuke gives Hiashi a suspicious look."

"It's possible. Shame about the party being crashed and I am sorry for your loss, of course," He looks at Hinata sympathetically.

"Thank you Kakashi," Hinata answers.

It wasn't lost on Kakashi, that somehow Sasuke had not yet gone on a rampage. The way he was standing close by Hinata, suggested the shy Hyuga heiress had something to do with it. Perhaps it was an actual date afterall.

"The blood is fresh. This must have been done within the last day or so," Tsunade says.

Hinata bites her lower lip, "Either it was a clan member or someone who was familiar enough with our habits that they were able to get in and out without being seen."

Both ideas were equally unsettling to Sasuke. There could be a murderer running around in Hinata's home for all he knew. Said murderer had also threatened his mother. They were going to pay. His Sharingan activates unconsciously.

"Yes, that is troubling. Well Sasuke and Mikoto, I don't think it's a safe idea for you to stay in the Uchiha District as it stands. We'll have to make other arrangements," Kakashi says.

"Of course," Mikoto says.

"Mikoto, Sasuke, and Kakashi head to my office. We'll discuss arrangements there. I'll get a team of analysts on this. Hiashi, I suggest you watch your clan carefully and report any suspicious behavior. I could assign some ANBU members to your lands, if you wish," Tsunade says.

"If ANBUs show up in our estate, our clan members will be uneasy. They will know that we think it is possible that one of our own is a traitor. That would tip them off. As much as the extra protection would be advantageous, it is not prudent at this time, Lady Hokage," Hiashi answers.

"Maybe Hinata should come with us. Whoever this killer is, saw us go to her Introduction together. She might be a target," Sasuke says.

"Hinata stays with her clan. We can protect her," Hiashi says.

"Protect her, huh? Like you protected him," Sasuke points his thumb at the dead Hyuga.

"We weren't aware of the threat at the time. We will be on guard now," Hiashi says.

"I'm sure he finds that very reassuring. Hinata is a Main House member. She's got free will. She can come and go as she pleases. If she wants to come with us, you can't force her to stay," Sasuke growls at him.

Hinata blinks. Sasuke and her father were really going at it. He actually wanted her to go with him? Not only that he was willing to argue with another clan head, over it? It was flattering in a way, even if uncomfortable to be put in the middle of it.

"If you two are done measuring your dicks, it's Hinata's decision. Though Sasuke has a point. They were seen together. If they are targeting Sasuke's mother, it makes sense they'd be interested in his movements and associations as well. "

Hinata blushes deeply at what Hokage said about the measuring contest. She looks between Sasuke, her father, and then at Tsunade a bit helplessly. Her father would be angry, if she took the Uchiha's offer. But it'd certainly be safer.

"Father, I think it'd be best, if I went with them. I'm likely a target now and there will be less of a chance for the killer to have access to me. You can tell our clan that you sent me off on a mission, as a safety measure. It will throw the killer off our trail," she says.

Kakashi honestly felt like clapping. This was a big step for the shy ninja. To his knowledge, she'd never gone against her Clan Head's wishes. But he knew better than to actually clap.

Sasuke's first instinct was to grab Hinata and twirl her around, in a celebratory gesture. He knew better than to do this though. At some point, she'd go back to living with her father. The guy was already enough of a prick, without Sasuke adding salt to the wounds. (No matter how tempting it was.)

He couldn't hide his smile though. Shit judging by Kakashi's expression he saw that. Oh well, he'd just tell Kakashi if he said anything about it, he would tell his mother about Kakashi's taste for erotic literature. That ought to shut him up.

He of course didn't realize that Mikoto would know what those orange books were about. She had received a few as birthday gifts. Mikoto was best friends with Kushina. Kushina was married to Minato. Minato was Jirayia's former student. Well you can see where this was going.

"Very well, Hinata. We shall have a discussion after this is all over about the proper role of Clan Heads. If you are going to take over for me one day, you will need to understand a few things," Hiashi says.

Sasuke at this point was rather tempted to just flip Hiashi off. It took all his ninja training not to do so. Kakashi seemed to sense this as he grabs Sasuke's hand in a, _Don't do it_ gesture.

"Yes, father," Hinata says.

"Right… Sasuke, Hinata, Mikoto, and Kakashi come on. Let's go," Tsunade starts off.

Mikoto and Kakashi follow suit, walking side by side. Unconsciously, Hinata and Sasuke mimicked their elders. Fortunately, it was late enough and most of the party goers had already fled, that there were only a handful of people out walking the street to witness this strange procession.

Once inside Tsunade's office, the Hokage sits down. She gestures for the rest of the group to do the same. She didn't even know where to start with this one.

"The Uchiha district is obviously out, as is the Hyuga Estate. We need somewhere unexpected. There is every possibility that you are all being watched and we need to operate under that assumption," Tsunade begins.

"My father had a second house at the edge of the village. It's still usable. I doubt anyone even knows it's there," Kakashi offers.

"Usually a man asks me to dinner first, before asking me to move in," Mikoto says cheekily.

"You are right. That was very ungentlemanly of me. I'll cook us all dinner when we get there," Kakashi offers.

"… You can cook," Sasuke decides for his sanity to block out the first part of that conversation.

"Well I'm no chef, but it's edible," Kakashi offers.

"Deal," Sasuke says.

"Is it big enough for all four of us and Snowball," Mikoto asks.

"Well it's technically two bedroom. Though I'm sure the living room and training room can be used as a bedroom easily enough. Just toss in the beds," Kakashi says cheerfully.

"Do you think it will work? Won't they find out where we are," Hinata asks.

"They might or we will find them first. Either way, it won't end well for them," Sasuke answers.

"I'll leave some of your clothes here for someone to pick up. It's too risky sending you back to your homes to grab your belongings," Tsunade states.

A Short While Later at Kakashi's Place

"This will do nicely. I'm surprised I never noticed this place," Mikoto says.

"Glad you like it. Well I guess it doesn't matter who takes what room," Kakashi says.

"I'll take the living room," Sasuke says. He figures if someone tried attacking, that's where they would walk through first.

"I'll take the training room. That way you two can have the bedrooms. It's your home Kakashi and Mikoto after the scare you had tonight, the least I can do is give a real bedroom," Hinata says.

"You are very sweet Hinata. But I really don't mind," Mikoto starts.

"No, I'm happy with the training room," Hinata smiles.

Kakashi chuckles, "She's becoming more assertive. Well that's all settled. Sasuke, you want to help me get the rooms set up," Kakashi asked.

Sasuke gives a graceful shrug of his shoulders. He followed his former Sensai into one of the storage rooms. He probably should have suspected that Kakashi was going to call him out on the smiling thing.

"I'm sorry about what happened tonight. You've both been through so much already. That and things seemed to finally be looking up for you. Also, I'm relieved to see you finally expressing an interest in someone. I'm rather shocked that it's Hinata. Though they do say opposites attract," Kakashi says conversationally.

"… You think that Hinata and I," he starts to stay.

"Together? No, not yet. But you were willing to butt heads with another Clan Head to assure her safety. You took her to the Introduction. You danced with her at the celebration. You're better with her Sasuke. I've seen you laugh and smile. She's good for you," Kakashi says.

"Let me get this straight, a 31 year old bachelor is giving me love advice," Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

Kakashi places his hand over his heart, "You wound me Sasuke. Just because I've never been married, doesn't mean I don't have experience with the fairer sex."

"I don't want to hear about your experiences, you pervert," Sasuke scoffs.

"That isn't' what I meant. But since you brought it up. As we discussed earlier, if you have any questions, I want you to know my door is always open," he says.

"I don't have any questions. I will NEVER have any questions. And I don't know what is going on with you and my mother, but if you hurt her, I will slit your throat," Sasuke threatens.

"I'd expect no less. Well if you are sure, you know I have quite the collection. The Sharingan, has multiple uses. It doesn't just copy battle moves. It's important to know how to please your partner, whether that is Hinata or someone else," he smiles behind his mask.

"… YOU DAMN FUCKING PERVERT," Sasuke twitches.

With Mikoto and Hinata

Hinata blinks, "Should we go make sure they are alright," she asks when she hears Sasuke yell at Kakashi.

"No. No. It's just some male bonding. It's best to just let them sort it out. Besides, I imagine you'll want to get out of that dress. I'm sure that there must be something you can throw on here," Mikoto answers.

"Why do men always bond through violence, insults, and yelling," Hinata wonders.

"My dear, there are some things that we will never know the answer to," Mikoto looks around and finds some of Kakashi's old shirts.

"Try this on. I doubt he'll mind," she smiles.

Hinata nods and heads into the bathroom. She comes out wearing a long sleeved gray t shirt, that thankfully goes to her knees. Mikoto nods approvingly and dons a similar, the blue version. She was a little taller than Hinata, so it came an inch or two above her knees.

"It'll have to do for now," she says.

"Well at least it's comfortable," Hinata smiles.

" I want to thank you. For obvious reasons, my son hasn't had a lot of friends. You make him happy and… apparently aren't afraid to tackle his ass, when he needs some sense knocked into him," she smiles serenely.

Hinata blushes deeply, "I I… didn't want anyone to get hurt. I know it was stupid to do that. But I didn't have time to think."

"It was the right decision. Sasuke needs people in his life who aren't afraid of him. It will make him feel normal. When he's around you, I see the man he could have been. I see the man he can still be. His father always had trouble dropping his guard. Sasuke used to be much more open. You help him get back to that in a way, not even Naruto has been able to accomplish," she says.

"Thank you Mikoto," Hinata starts, only to be interrupted by Kakashi walking in.

"Well we have the rooms set and Sasuke didn't set the house on fire. I consider this great progress. I should really look into fire insurance," Kakashi rubs his chin thoughtfully.

Snowball wanders into the room. Hinata smiles and tries to coax the cat to come to her. Snowball, always one to enjoy attention trots over and is all too happy to be picked up by the Hyuga heiress. She snuggles him into her chest, "Aren't you a handsome cat and so friendly," she smiles.

"… Even the cat is a pervert," Sasuke smacks his forehead.

Hinata blinks and looks confused, "What do you mean," she asks.

"He's a ninja cat," Sasuke explains.

Hinata blushes scarlet and sets Snowball down, "Oh."

"Well you can't blame him. At least he has good taste," Kakashi teases and gives Sasuke a look like, bet you wish you were able to do that.

Sasuke gives Kakashi a scowl. He walks over to Hinata. He didn't know why but for some reason the sight of her in nothing but the oversized shirt, was effecting him almost as much as her straddling his lap.

It wasn't that Sasuke was asexual. He was just very focused. Killing Itachi took priority over everything else. That drive made it easy to ignore things like hormones. So in a way, he'd subconsciously hit the OFF button his hormones. After the lap straddling incident though, said hormones were now fully back ON. It was just his luck, that the first girl that DIDN'T annoy him, that he found attractive, was in love with his best friend.

"Come on, I'll show you the training room. Well your bedroom for now," he takes her hand and leads her off.

"Kakashi, what did you say to my son to make him yell that you were a pervert," Mikoto asks.

"Oh you know, guy stuff," he nods sagely.

"Uh huh. Care to elaborate," she says.

"I was just reaffirming that should he have any questions about relationships, I would be more than happy to answer them," Kakashi nods.

"Mhm. That's all," she demands.

"I may have indicated that the Sharingan is a wonderful educational tool in this regard," he answers.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but go on," she says.

"I don't think it is proper. You are his mother. If he knows, I tell you what we talk about, well then he'll lose trust in me," Kakashi counters.

"He yelled that you were a pervert. My son is not an idiot. He's going to assume I asked and that you told me," was her rebuttal.

"… Fair point. Well the Sharingan not only can copy battle techniques but more… carnal ones. It is a fine way to pick up various tricks to spice up one's love life," he answers.

"….," Mikoto responds.

Kakashi at this point, wondered if he had gone too far. Mikoto in the short time since her revival, had seemed rather playful. She'd even gone so far as to give Sasuke a mock "The Talk," with him. But maybe he'd offended her by using her family's bloodline for less than… professional purposes.

"Oh that's brilliant. Why didn't I think of that," Mikoto says.

It was at that moment, that Kakashi knew that he was fucked. A beautiful, intelligent, strong female ninja, AND she appreciated his ability to adapt the Sharingan to areas outside the battlefield. There was just one problem. She was his former student's mother.

Well that and he wasn't really sure if she was available at all. She was a married woman. Though Sasuke's father was dead. Well he was dead dead. He wasn't going to be revived, like his former wife. So maybe that just meant she was a widow? He'd died ten years ago. So it's not like he was taking advantage of a grieving widow, right?


	8. Chapter 8

Mother Knows Best

Author's Note: Yeah Hiashi has served as an easy punching bag thus far in the story. I will try to redeem him somewhat. We'll start getting more into the Kasai and our forming couples. Thank you to all the reviewers, followers, and lurkers ^^. I don't know why this chapter was so tough to get going. But here it is.

Chapter 8

Contrary to popular belief, Hiashi Hyuga was not completely without a heart. It had just closed off after his wife's death. He had failed to protect her. (It didn't matter that she had died in childbirth and there had been nothing he could have done to prevent that.) After her passing, Hiashi had thrown himself into clan tradition. It was the best way he knew how to protect the clan.

Hinata had inherited her mother's unfailingly kind heart. He could now see what Hinata saw in Naruto that very few others had before Pein and the War. But Sasuke? Really? The boy personified destruction and impudence.

"With all due respect, do you think it is wise to let Hinata stay with the Uchihas," a branch member asks.

"There is some merit to it strategically. I do not like it. This is the first time she has openly defied me. If I did not allow it, well I'll not give that boy the satisfaction of driving a wedge between us," Hiashi says.

The Branch Member wisely shuts up at this point. He felt like pointing out that they should be focusing on the murderer. The man (or woman, or group) that had killed their family member and written the chilling warning in blood. Not on whether or not, Lady Hinata was making friends with someone Hiashi didn't approve of. He wasn't foolish enough to say this though.

"Has the search been finished," Hiashi asks.

"The entire estate and all our lands have been searched. There's nothing, Lord Hiashi. Not even a hair or a trace of chakra. It's like ghosts did this,"

Hiashi twitches, "You don't actually believe that ghosts are responsible for this."

"No, my Lord. It was just a description. Whoever did this isn't an amatuer," was his reply.

"Unsettling. You are dismissed," Hiashi says.

He rubs his temples. The Hyuga head could feel a migraine coming on. Privately, though he'd never admit this, he knew that Hinata was probably more safe with Sasuke than anyone. For whatever reason, the youngest Uchiha seemed protective of her. (Hiashi didn't understand this as only a few weeks ago, he couldn't recall them exchanging so much as a morning greeting.)

Well safer with anyone else, other than Naruto. Where was the bubbly hero, when Hiashi needed him? He hadn't attended the Introduction, but he supposed that was likely because he didn't know about it. It was more of a clan event and he couldn't imagine Naruto in formal attire. He mentally winced as he pictured a bright orange male kimono.

Hiashi's Flashback

It had been a nightmare. Hiashi saw his daughter come down the staircase with that Criminal Ninja. Sasuke with his clan symbol on his back and holding her hand, as they walked side by side.

He was loathed to admit it, but Hinata's gaze was proud and strong. The reassuring gesture could be overlooked. He was probably just holding her hand, to steady her nerves. That wasn't what troubled him so.

What was unsettling was how they walked together, in perfect sync. Not once did Hinata fall behind or walk ahead of him. It was as if they were husband and wife.

There was a regalness to their baring, that many clan heads would be hard pressed to match. Every eye on the room was on them. Oh this would not do. This would not do at all. Hinata was far too kind and gentle a soul to be associated with that bloodthirsty killer.

That was when all Hell broke loose. He saw the blood and the head of his fallen kin. Sasuke looked like he was about to snap. But Hinata, foolishly threw herself on top of him. Hiashi was not sure what was said, but somehow she did the impossible. She had gotten him to calm down. Truly, a Beauty and the Beast moment.

The Next Morning: Kakashi's Place

Sasuke heads outside to chop some firewood. That's when he felt it. He was being watched.

"Come out of hiding, I know you're there," Sasuke says.

He was surprised when a small child, peeks out of the bushes. It was Hitmou from the Homecoming. How the kid found them, Sasuke had no idea.

"Hitmou there are some very bad people on the loose. Let's get you back to your clan," Sasuke half says and half orders.

"I wanted to thank you, for saving me. Lord Hiashi was very mad," he says determinedly.

"You're welcome. Let's get you home," Sasuke says not realizing he was also being watched from the window of the kitchen.

"Alright," Hitmou smiles and jumps onto Sasuke's back.

"… Hitmou what are you doing," Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

"Well you are faster than me. So I'll get home faster if you give me a piggyback ride," he says as if this was the most logical thing in the world.

That much was true. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. He remembered as a kid, how much he had enjoyed his own piggyback rides. Itachi was kind enough to indulge him with them. Given the glacial nature of the Hyuga Estate, he figured he'd humor the kid. It wasn't likely he'd get many piggyback rides there.

"Alright," Sasuke says and Hitmou wraps his arms around Sasuke's neck, as they sprint off to the Hyuga lands, much to Hitmou's delight.

"Weeeee! Faster! Faster," he cries out.

"You want fast," Sasuke asks.

"Yeah," he yells.

"Hold on tight," Sasuke smirks and takes off at the "Chidori speed."

Sasuke soon arrives on the border of the Hyuga lands. He sets a now very dizzy Hitmou down. Maybe he had over done it just a bit.

"Let's do it again," Hitmou smiles and claps, as he sways unsteadily on his feet.

"I think once is enough for today. You better get back to your family," Sasuke says.

"Awe alright," he toddles off.

Kakashi's Place: The Kitchen

Kakashi had found his old camera. There was no way he was not capturing this moment. Sasuke giving a kid a piggyback ride, strange things were happening in the Leaf lately.

"Kakashi, why are you taking pictures of your front yard," Mikoto asks, leaning against the wall in a fashion that looked nearly identical to Sasuke when he snuck up on people.

"Oh you know, I thought I"d help you and Sasuke update your family album," he says cheerfully.

"Mhm. Let me see," She saunters over, still clad only in one of his old shirts.

Like Kakashi could say no to a woman wearing his shirt. He was wondering if maybe he was developing a bit of a fetish. Well who could blame him, when she had legs like those. So he hands her over the camera.

"Awe that's adorable and will make for wonderful blackmail material later on," She smiles.

"My thoughts exactly. Coffee," Kakashi asks.

"Yes, please with extra sugar," she answers.

"Sasuke hates sweets. I was wondering if he took after you in that regard," he says as he adds the sugar to hers.

"No. That's more Fugaku's influence. He always preferred bitter things," she answers.

"And yet, he married you," Kakashi says.

"Well everyone needs a little sweetness in their lives," she smiles.

"Absolutely," Kakashi replies.

"I think I will go to the hospital today and try to get into the medic program," she says.

"I doubt they are going to say no," Kakashi says.

"Mm probably not. But I should at least give the illusion that it is optional," she answers.

"I've been thinking, you are very manipulative. You primed this whole thing with Sasuke and Hinata," Kakashi muses.

"I have no idea what you mean," Mikoto says "innocently."

"The psychological technique. Priming is the implicit memory effect in which exposure to a stimulus influences response to a later stimulus. It's used to train a person's memory in positive and negative ways. You mentioned to him that Hinata didn't rat you out and that he should dance with at least a couple people. Therefore, he was already primed to think about Hinata," Kakashi wasn't falling for the innocent look.

"Alright, you got me. I plead guilty," she pushes Kakashi onto the chair and sits in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

There was a key difference here between Mikoto and Hinata's straddling techniques. Hinata had tackled Sasuke to keep him from going postal and was unaware of any affects that such a suggestive position might have had on him. Mikoto on the other hand, she was a grown woman, and damn sure knew the effects that sitting in a man's lap, might illicit.

"You won't tattle on me, right," she purrs into his ear.

"Well I suppose I might be persuadable," Kakashi starts to say.

It was just then that Hinata walked into the kitchen. It was still early in the morning. She was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Have either of you seen Sasuke," she asks and then her eyes go wide at the scene.

Mikoto was sitting in Kakashi's lap and the two looked rather… cozy. Hinata blushes scarlet. It looked like she had interrupted something.

"Sorry. I didn't realize you two were busy," she starts edging towards the door.

"It's alright Hinata. We aren't. Kakashi was just showing me a picture that I'm going to add to the family scrapbook. Sasuke went to take Hitmou back to your family's home. That kid has habit of wandering off," Mikoto muses.

"Oh. Alright. I was worried when he wasn't in the living room. Wait what picture," she asks.

Mikoto shows her the picture of Sasuke giving Hitmou a piggyback ride. Hinata couldn't help but giggle. There was something hysterical about seeing the deadly ninja, carry a five year old on his back.

"That's adorable," she smiles.

"I know and it is such good blackmail material for when he gets out of line," Mikoto says cheerfully.

"If Naruto sees that," Hinata starts to say.

"He'll never let Sasuke live it down," finishes Kakashi.

With Sasuke, after he dropped off Hitmou

He felt something lightly fall onto his head. Frowning he pulls it out of his hair. It was a folded up piece of paper. Sasuke opens it and begins reading.

 _ **Is this what the Uchiha Clan is reduced to? Running errands for a village that ordered your family to be slaughtered by one of their own?**_

Sasuke's eyes narrow. He withdraws his word and looks around. Whoever threw the note, had to be nearby. He tries to sense their chakra.

"Show yourself! Stop playing games," he growls out.

It was at that moment, that Naruto came stampeding in.

"There you are bastard. Are you okay? I heard what happens," he runs over.

Dammit. If he had any chance of catching the murderer today, they just went up in smoke. For a ninja, Naruto had horrible timing.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go somewhere we can talk, privately. This is too open," Sasuke walks over to the blonde.

"Yeah," Naruto nods and they head to the Forest of Death.

"So what happened? I heard someone got their head cut off and there was a message on the wall, written in blood," Naruto asks.

"It said the dead should stay dead and this won't be the only Hyuga to lose their head. I still think it might be a cover. Hyugas are known for viewing branch members as disposable. Hiashi hates my mother," he answers.

"You really think Hinata's dad would do that," Naruto asks.

"It's possible. Before your dumbass showed up, someone sent me this note. Whoever they are, they aren't going away, anytime soon," Sasuke answers.

"So where are you now? I mean staying? Seems kinda stupid to go back to the Uchiha district. You'd all be sitting ducks. If you go to one of the hotels or inns, that's too public. Civilians could get caught up in the crossfire if it comes to it," Naruto ponders.

"We're staying at Kakashi's place for the time being. It's a second home, his father had," was his reply.

"Wow. That's cool. Always wondered what Kakashi's place would be like. Have you seen him without his mask yet," Naruto wonders.

"You are such a loser. Someone lost their head and THAT'S what you want to know," Sasuke twitches.

"Oh come on. You are just as curious as anyone else. The guy even eats with that thing on," Naruto says.

"Fine. Maybe I'm a little curious. But keeping mother and Hinata safe comes first," Sasuke responds.

"Wait… AND Hinata? Hinata is staying with you guys," Naruto blinks.

"Figured it was safer. I took her to her Introduction. She's been seen with me twice. So she might be a target," he answers.

"What the Hell is the Introduction thing anyway? I mean I don't get it," Naruto questions.

"Think of it as a rather elaborate birthday party. But the real reason is to say this person is of age. For clans, it's important to make sure the line continues. This is an easy way to see who might be interested," Sasuke says.

"Wait so you mean they were basically putting her up there, like some sort of auction," Naruto asks in outrage.

"It's an ancient tradition. She'd have to consent to any matches, but essentially it's more like a personal ad. I'm just glad that I didn't have to go through with it," Sasuke says.

"Wait they do it for girls AND guys," Naruto blinks.

"Yes, no one escapes it. It's a big deal. But that's not what matters now. What matters is we have a killer on the loose," Sasuke says.

"Yeah. Well I'm glad you finally removed the stick out of your ass and you know, made a friend that you haven't tried to kill," Naruto replies cheerfully.

"…Shut up, loser," shakes his head.

"No, I mean it. Hinata is great. She's really nice. Just don't be a bastard to her. She's not like me. She's not used to your abusive personality," Naruto nods sagely.

"I'll show you abusive personality," Sasuke twitches.

"Bring it, bastard," Naruto smirks and the two launch into a spar.

Meanwhile with Hinata

As funny as it was to watch Mikoto tease Kakashi, Hinata realized that she should let her team know she was okay. They would have heard by now what happened. The blunette figured they'd be pretty worried.

"I have to go talk to Shino, Kiba, and Kurenai Sensai. I need to tell them that I'm okay," Hinata says.

"Of course. Kakashi go with her," Mikoto says.

"But that would leave you here, alone," Kakashi responds.

"Kakashi, I'm a Jonin. I can take care of myself. Sasuke will be back shortly. Hinata is possibly a target," she gives him THE look.

"Alright. Alright," Kakashi heads off with Hinata.

Soon enough, they reach the training grounds. Hinata runs over to her teammates and teacher. Kiba launched into a barrage of questions. Hinata was going to be overwhelmed by her more boisterous friend's concern. So Kakashi decided to step in.

"She's alright. She's staying with me for the time being. It's probably not safe for her back at the Hyugga Estate. We don't know who is responsible yet. But Lady Tsunade has the ANBU working on it. I'm sure Hiashi has his clan looking as well. We'll find out who did this," Kakashi says.

"Why now? The war is over. What's the benefit from tormenting everyone," Kurenai wonders.

"Could be a grudge against the Uchihas, the Hyugas, both, or just the village in general. Maybe it's someone who would profit from a clan feud or Sasuke going beserk. Whatever their reasons, we can safely assume they probably aren't good," Kakashi answers.

"That doesn't really narrow it down. I'm so sorry Hinata. I was hoping your Introduction would be a special night for you," Kurenai places her hand on her only female student's shoulder.

Hinata smiles reassuringly, "It's alright. It was for… about five minutes anyway. I'm alright. But still we have to stop them before they hurt anyone else."

"Why did you have Sasuke take you there anyway? I would have taken you. Hell, even Shino probably would have," Kiba asks.

"He asked. You didn't," Hinata says in a slightly biting tone.

"It doesn't really matter who took her. Whoever did this, probably wanted to make a statement. What better way to do that, than at the biggest social event of the year," Shino states.

"Where are Mikoto and Sasuke," Kurenai asks.

"Sasuke is returning Hitmou to the Hyuga estate. Mikoto is safely awaiting his return at a safe house," Kakashi answers.

"Wait Sasuke is babysitting," Kiba looks torn between laughing his ass off and being concerned for the kid.

"Well I suppose you could call it that. Hitmou is probably grateful to him for Sasuke stepping in," Kakashi begins.

"Stepping in," Kurenai asks.

Kakashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Kurenai was a mother. If she heard that Hiashi was threatening a kid with the curse seal, well Kakashi almost pitied Hiashi. He'd have no chance in Hell of surviving the Genjutsu user's fury with his mind intact.

"Oh it's nothing. Little Hitmou just crashed the homecoming party. Hiashi was displeased. Sasuke saved him from a scolding is all," Kakashi decides to give a truthful, though watered down version of the event.

"Kakashi, a lie by omission is still a lie. But we'll talk about this later. For now, Hinata I'm just glad you are okay," Kurenai smiles at her.

"Thank you, Sensai. I'm fine though," Hinata reassures her.

"You might want to go back with Kakashi. The longer you are out here, the better the chance the killer will find you," Kiba says.

"You're right. I'll see you soon," Hinata heads off with Kakashi.

A Little Later with Shino and Kiba

"It's weird isn't it? Why would Sasuke ask her out," Kiba says.

"Because I asked him to," Shino pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"YOU WHAT," Kiba exploded.

"I asked him to ask her. Naruto would be clueless about such matters. We both know that you detest formal events. I'm not good in crowds. Sasuke is a member of a clan. His family might have died, when he was young but he knows the proper protocols," Shino says.

"I guess but still! He's dangerous. He could snap at any time," Kiba growls out.

"If he was going to snap, I'd say someone threatening his mother would have done it. Besides, Naruto trusts him. That's good enough for me," Shino answers his friend and teammate.

Kiba sighs, "Alright I guess. Well at least it wasn't a real date then. I mean bad enough she's hanging around him in the first place, without getting her heart broken."

"They are both changing. Think of it as going from a caterpillar to a butterfly," he offers.

"You and your bug metaphors. I could see Hinata as a butterfly. Sasuke is a fucking hornet," Kiba replies.

"Well I suppose that's accurate," Shino says.

With the Kasai

"Well I think the note will plant the seed of doubt in his mind," Sarburo says.

"He's already suspicious of Hiashi. We can work that angle. His friendship with the Hyuga girl wasn't something I would have anticipated. But even that could be in our favor," Kara states.

"How so," Sarburo asks.

"If we grab her or someone close to her, he'll probably come. The Hyuga girl or her friends are probably an easier get than Kakashi," she answers.

"I like the way you think. Sasuke isn't going to let her out of his sight though. Perhaps, grabbing her teammates, would do the trick," he says as they take off.

Meanwhile with Sasuke and Naruto

After a "friendly," spar both boys are covered in cuts and bruises. The cold weather probably wasn't helping matters. Naruto follows Sasuke back to Kakashi's place. He was curious to see what it was like.

' "Not bad for a place that hasn't been lived in, who knows how long. So how long you think you guys are playing house," Naruto remarks.

"Playing house? We aren't playing anything, loser. This is to make we don't get snuck up on during the middle of the night and kidnapped," he answers.

"Sure you are. Kakashi is the dad. Your mom is well the mom. You and Hinata are living together like brother and sister," he explains his logic.

WHACK. Sasuke hit Naruto on the head hard for that crack. He knew that he was attracted to Hinata. But she was too nice for him. Unfortunately, the loser was completely fucking oblivious. Maybe he'd knock some sense into him.

"Owe what was that for," Naruto asks.

"Kakashi is not my father and Hinata is not my sister, idiot," Sasuke growls at him.

"Well I knows not biologically. But he has the Sharingan and you two have that whole duck butt hairstyle thing going on. Plus he seems to be hitting it off with your mom. They were dancing together at her get together … thing," Naruto says.

"My mother danced with everyone. She's trying to bring us back into the village life. Kakashi just stepped in because Hiashi was being a prick," Sasuke answers defensively and crosses his arms.

"Sorry, bastard. I didn't realize you were sensitive about it. You never talk about your dad. What was he like," Naruto wonders.

"Strong, intelligent, and… completely focused on Itachi. He taught me how to do the fireball jutsu and that was about it. Itachi had to take me to my first day at the Academy," was his answer.

"Ouch. Kakashi's always late for everything, but he always shows up," Naruto says.

SWATT. Sasuke twitches. Once Naruto got an idea into his thick skull. It was very difficult to get it out. Apparently, Naruto had decided that Kakashi was his step father or about to be.

"Sasuke is that you," Mikoto calls out.

"Yeah, I'm home. I brought the loser with me," Sasuke follows her voice into the kitchen.

Naruto follows Sasuke. Mikoto was there and was sipping some coffee. Suspiciously, she was wearing just a shirt. Naruto guessed it was one of Kakashi's. So our lovable knucklehead shoots Sasuke a knowing look like, _See I told you so!_

She smiles and walks over to him, kissing his cheek, and says, "Hinata and Kakashi left, to tell her team that she was alright."

Sasuke twitches. But he told himself not to worry. Hinata was a ninja. (A soft hearted one, who would probably hug someone before punching them, but still.) Kakashi was being considered for the title of Hokage, she'd be fine.

Naruto saw the twitch though. _He's really worried about her. What the Hell happened at her birthday party?_ The blonde wondered to himself.

"Will you be staying for dinner, Naruto? It's my turn to cook. Sasuke tells me that your diet consists almost entirely of ramen. That's really not healthy," she smiles.

"Is it going to be a bunch of rabbit food," Naruto asks.

"There will be some rabbit food, as is Hinata's preference. But there will also be other things," she shakes her head in amusement.

"Sure, I'd like to stay," Naruto says.

Just then Kakashi and Hinata come in. Hinata blinks, taking in Sasuke and Naruto's ruffled appearance. It didn't look like anything life threatening. Maybe they had been training?

"Hey, Hinata! Glad you are okay. I heard about what happened. The bastard here tells me, that we have no idea who did it," Naruto states.

"Naruto," she looks at her feet and does her nervous hand gesture.

Hinata would feel a slight pressure on her chin, tilting her head up. Sasuke looks at her and leans in. He whispers into her ear, "What did I tell you about bowing your head," he asks.

Hinata smiles and nods her head. Then she looks at Naruto. How to explain this?

"I'm fine. We aren't sure who did it though. Since I was since with Sasuke at the Introduction, it was thought it'd be safer to take me out of my family's home. The person responsible might be… one of us," she says the last part sadly.

"Well it's good that you are safe. We'll find out who did it," Naruto says.

Suddenly a Red Alert Blares

"Dammit! What's going on now," Naruto wonders as they all take off running.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Sasuke says racing alongside his friend.

"That much is certain," says Mikoto who was flying by Kakashi at full speed.

Hinata carries Snowball on her shoulder, as she follows the others, "Yes."

Tsunade was in the village square. She had a grim expression on her face. All the ninjas in the village were gathered around her.

"Two of our ninjas, Shino and Kiba have been kidnapped. We assume it is by the same group responsible for the murder of Kenji Hyuga. We will not rest until they are safely back home," she begins.

Hinata punches the ground, leaving an impressive sized hole in it. (Not Tsunade or Sakura sized, but still.) Sasuke darts behind her and whispers, "This isn't your fault. It's mine. They are targeting my family. We'll get them back," he tells her.

"Yes, we will. I won't let them kill or hurt anyone else," she says.

It was a bit disturbing to see those kind lavender eyes change. They were now well, this was Hinata's version of angry. Sasuke didn't really know how to react to it.

Mikoto watches in horror. She feels Kakashi's hand on her shoulder. The Uchiha Matriarch nods, at what the silver haired Jonin said. Now wasn't the time to lose their heads. They had a rescue mission to mount.


	9. Chapter 9

Mother Knows Best

Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews, follows, favorites, and clicks. ^.^ You guys really make my day. If you have any requests for this story or another one, please feel free to leave them in a review or private message me.

 **Warning:** Sasuke swears a lot when he's pissed. Hinata also starts to get over her crush on Naruto.

Chapter 9

At this point in his life, Kakashi had been through a LOT. That even included a war against a dead ninja. So very few things worried him anymore. The expression on Mikoto's face as she watched Sasuke and Hinata though, that worried him greatly.

Mikoto had a playful, sassy personality that was at odds with her youngest son's more (at best) aloof nature. Rarely, did he see her truly upset.

Sasuke wasn't faring much better. Kakashi could see it written on his face. _This is my fault._ He probably blamed himself for Hinata's teammates getting kidnapped.

"We will need some ninjas to stay behind and search the village, just in case. A team will be dispatched. Maybe they will pick up a trail," Tsunade says.

The Uchihas, Hinata, Kakashi, and several other ninjas take off. Sasuke follows after Hinata, who was a lot faster than he had ever noticed before. Her drive to save her teammates, was a very motivating factor. Kakashi raced along after Mikoto. Other two person teams take off in other directions.

Meanwhile, with Hinata and Sasuke, as they were looking for her teammates.

"Hinata, I'm sorry about this. None of this would be happening to you or them, if I hadn't been around you so much," Sasuke says.

Hinata skids to a halt. She marches over to Sasuke and a loud SMACK is heard throughout the forest. Sasuke blinks and touches his badly bruised cheek. Dammit. Hinata might not have had the power that Naruto did when delivering a punch, but there was a sting to it. He was stunned. Hinata Hyuga had just HIT him. Did that really just happen?

"This isn't your fault. They went to my family's home, killed one of our people, and mounted his head like a trophy. They might have a grudge against your mother, but there's no way to tell if they wouldn't have done that anyway," she walks closer.

Sasuke rubs his cheek. He was still flabbergasted that Hinata would actually strike him. What the Hell?

"You've been different since your mother came back. You've been kind, happy. Don't let these people take that away from you," Hinata says.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, "Kind?"

"You saved Hitmou and don't think I didn't see that picture of you giving him a piggyback ride," Hinata responds.

"…There's a picture? What picture? Wait does the loser know," Sasuke twitches.

Naruto would never let him live that down. If he found out that he was playing around with a kid. That was going to mess with his badass image. Yeah, there was only one logical conclusion. That picture must be destroyed. AT ALL COSTS!

"Yes, there is a picture. It's really cute," Hinata smiles.

Sasuke scoffs at this, "Did Naruto see that damn picture?"

"No. Your mother and Kakashi are going to put it in a family album though," Hinata answers.

"… They are making a family album together," Sasuke blinks.

"I'm sorry about hitting you so hard. But Mikoto said that I should slap some sense into you, sometimes," Hinata does her nervous hand gesture.

"Hinata, only you would apologize for sucker punching someone. How do you manage to fight enemy ninjas," Sasuke asks in bewilderment.

"You aren't an enemy ninja. You are my friend. Friends shouldn't hit each other," She touches his cheek and Sasuke couldn't hide a wince.

"Wish I knew some medical jutsus," she says.

"It'll be fine. I've suffered worse. For the record, I preferred the tackling over the slap. It's less painful and just as effective," Sasuke says and they take off.

As he was flitting off, Hinata wasn't sure, but she thought she might have heard him say, "And you can't beat the view," though she pawned it off to her imagination.

On the other side of the forest, Mikoto was not a happy camper to say the least. It was happening again. Things were finally settling down and then someone had to kidnap two Leaf ninjas. Why couldn't things ever go smoothly for her family?

"Why does this keep happening? Why is there always someone who wants to destroy my family," Mikoto growls out.

"Don't lose your head. We won't be able to help if you are too angry to think straight," Kakashi says.

"When I get my hands on this kidnapper, I'm going to tear him limb from limb," Mikoto says.

"Mikoto, what did I just say about controlling your anger," Kakashi asks.

"Burn them alive. That will teach them not to mess with my son's girlfriend," Mikoto continues on.

"…Well technically she's not his girlfriend. But your protective streak is noted," Kakashi was getting a bit concerned.

"She's not his girlfriend YET. But close enough. You didn't see them at the Introduction. I'm tired of my family always being threatened. I'm going to slaughter them all," the brunette continues describing some rather gruesome things she was planning.

"Alright, alright," Kakashi gets behind her and restrains her in his arms.

"You, need to calm down," he says.

"Kakashi, let go of me! We don't have time to waste," Mikoto growls out at him.

"I didn't want to have to resort to this," he proceeds to start tickling her.

"ST-OP THAT! TH-AT'S NOT FAIR," she laughs hysterically.

"All is fair in love and war. Now are you calm," Kakashi asks.

"Yes, I'm good," she replies in a huff.

Back with Sasuke and Hinata, suddenly the ground gave way underneath our two heirs. Sasuke gets grabbed by vine and yanked up into a tree. Hinata is now in the rather steep hole in the ground, with no place to grab a foothold.

Sasuke whirls around to attack, whoever grabbed him. The man in question had a stocky build, blue hair, and green eyes. Sasuke had never seen him before in his life. But he recognized his mother's description of him. This was the man who revived her.

"Relax. I'm not here to fight. Well at least not you. This was not how I wanted this to go. But I offered you a gift, as a token of my sincerity. Without our group, your mother would still be dead. Unfortunately, she was naturally spooked when she was revived. A confrontation did ensue. It was not my intention to fight with her," Sarburo says.

"But it was your intention to murder a Hyuga and kidnap two Leaf ninjas," Sasuke gets ready to charge up a chidori.

"We needed to get your attention. The Hyuga was simply at the wrong place, at the wrong time. As for the ninjas, again the methods may not have been the most honorable, but one can not argue with the results. You do stand before me," he says.

Sasuke slams him into the tree, "The only reason I haven't killed you yet, is because you brought her back. I know you didn't do it out of the goodness of your heart."

"The ninja world is at peace for now. But sooner or later, the old rivalries will come back. That is why we need one kage, not five. That will likely be either you or Naruto. But Naruto is too naïve to see how the world really works. He's afraid to get his hands dirty," Sarburo says.

Sasuke couldn't argue that Naruto by far was the more ethical of the two of them. He'd always lined up with the end justifies the means philosophy. Maybe there was even some logic in having one Kage. But he did not like being threatened while being "courted."

"I can see you are still skeptical. The Leaf Village ordered your clan to be killed once; what makes you think they won't do it again? Sure, now that Naruto is around, they think he'll keep you in check. But he won't always be around. What is to stop history from repeating itself in a few generations? Come with us. You can bring the Hyuga girl with you if you wish," he says.

"…," Sasuke couldn't deny he had a point about the Leaf, it was always something that prickled at the back of his mind.

"And we didn't come alone. We have been building support for months now. True, we are not currently a majority, but there are hundreds of ninjas ready to rally behind the cause. Once they have a leader, more will come," Sarburo continues.

"Sasuke," Hinata shouts from below.

It was just then that the other Leaf ninjas heard the commotion and came running. Not to be outdone, Sarburo snaps his fingers and some of the Kasai come out. Sasuke looks back and sees his mother and Kakashi had also arrived.

"My brother died to prevent a Civil War. What you want would start another," Sasuke starts.

The Leaf and Kasai ninjas begin fighting. Kunais, swords, jutsus, blows were fired off. This was going to be a slaughter if something wasn't done. He'd have to end this quickly.

"I was hoping that you would be more receptive. Perhaps you just need some time for it to grow on you. I truly do apologize for this," Sarburo says and stabs Sasuke in the neck with a needle.

The needle was filled with a serum that would cause him to fall into a deep sleep and block his chakra for at least a few days. (Sarburo was many things; stupid was not one of them. He knew that such a precaution might be necessary and had prepared accordingly.)

He teleports off, with a now unconscious Sasuke, during all the chaos. Naruto notices the large hole and looks over it. He sees Hinata and summons a giant toad.

"Hope on Hinata, he'll get you out," Naruto yells

Hinata blinks. She'd never seen a toad that big before. To be honest, she was a little creeped out. But she trusted Naruto, so she hops on. The Summon gets her out with ease, due to one mighty hop.

"You okay," Naruto asks her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But Sasuke got grabbed," Hinata looks around, just in time to see Sarburo stick a needle in Sasuke's neck and teleport off.

Suddenly, the Kasai begin dispersing. Something was up. It made Mikoto uneasy and she looks around. She didn't see Sasuke.

"SASUKE," she yells.

"They took him," Hinata screams out.

"They kidnapped the bastard? Don't worry, we'll get him back. Actually, he might bring himself back," Naruto says.

The Leaf ninjas take off, trying to follow the trail. They search for hours, but find nothing. Mikoto was inconsolable. Kakashi knew this was one situation where tickling wouldn't be effective.

"They won't hurt him. They went through far too much trouble to do so. They want him for something," Kakashi tries to reassure her.

"What they want is for him and Naruto to fight each other. They are worried that the Five Nations will grow weak, during a time of peace. Sasuke and Naruto are natural "leaders," if a Civil War breaks out. Had they tried this even a few months ago, Sasuke might have gone along with it," Mikoto says, leaning into Kakashi.

At the rate people were being taken, she couldn't be entirely certain he wouldn't be next. So it was comforting to be able to feel him there. She had to trust Sasuke to get out of there or for the Leaf to be able to track him.

Later that night, Naruto goes to check on Hinata. He was almost as worried about her, as he was about the bastard. Somehow, Sasuke seemed to have become friends with Hinata. (Naruto couldn't think of two people who were a better example of opposites. Hell, even he and Sasuke had more in common than the last (male) Uchiha had with the shy Hyuga.

"Hey, Hinata. You alright? I'm sure he'll be fine. He survived living with Orochimaru for three years. There's no way these guys are worse than that," he offers "helpfully."

"Naruto, they planned this. They were after him the whole time. He was starting to," Hinata didn't have the words to describe the process of Sasuke going back to "normal."

"Yeah, he was getting better. Even saw him laugh a couple times. But he's got his mother back now. I'm sure that is pretty good motivation not to go psycho again. We'll find him. I didn't chase him across the Five Nations for three years, only to have some creepy blind group kidnap him," Naruto says.

Hinata smiles sadly and pushes a book towards Naruto, "Look where it's bookmarked."

Naruto takes the book. The blue eyed ninja opens it, to where it was book marked. He blinks and then bursts out laughing.

"Wait Sasuke let a kid ride on his back? This has to be fake or someone doing a transformation jutsu, right? This can't be real," Naruto couldn't stop laughing.

"It's real. He was very concerned that you'd see it. Something about you never letting him live it down," Hinata says.

"So you showed it to me anyway," Naruto asks.

"You would have seen it sooner or later. Plus, I wanted to prove my point. He's different now. I mean, I didn't really know him before the war. Maybe this is what he would have been like if the massacre didn't happen," she says.

"A happy Sasuke. Yeah still trying to wrap my head around it. Well now we definitely have to find him. I have to rub this one in his face. Then again the bastard was always going on about restoring his clan. So he'd have to be around kids, at some point. I just kinda figured he'd have the mother cover the family bonding stuff. Well that is if a woman can put up with his emo ass," Naruto says.

"His ass is not emo," Hinata says.

"Wow," Naruto was stunned that Hinata actually said ass.

"What," she blinks in confusion.

"Guess we are rubbing off on you. Never heard you talk like that before. But yes, he is emo," Naruto counters.

"He was that way because of what happened to his family. It's not like he was acting all gloomy to get attention," Hinata volleys.

"Touche I guess. Still we'll get him back. These people are not exactly subtle. I'm sure they will make some sort of contact with us soon. I'm worried about his mom though. She's gotta be a wreck," Naruto continues.

"Kakashi is with her. I think he'll keep her from doing anything reckless," Hinata says.

"So what's the story with those two anyway? Are they like you know," Naruto makes a motion with his hands.

"I walked in on her sitting in his lap," Hinata answers.

"No way. Did Sasuke see that," Naruto asks.

"I don't think so. I think he probably knows or at least senses something is going on. I don't think they are officially together yet," Hinata trails off.

"So I was right about the playing house thing. I guess Sasuke views you as a sister or something," Naruto muses.

"…I don't think he views me as a sister," Hinata says.

She didn't know why the concept was so offensive to her. Technically they were related, even if it was EXTREMELY distant. We are talking many generations back. Maybe she was just mad, because Naruto's default position was thinking a man would view Hinata only as a friend or as a sister. She decided that must be it.

"I don't know. He dances with you and took you your birthday party. He wouldn't do that for anyone else," Naruto continues in a completely oblivious fashion.

"If he viewed me as his sister, he wouldn't take me to an Introduction. An Introduction is to show that you are of age. It'd be like Neji being my date to a wedding. It's…wrong," Hinata says.

"Yeah. I guess. I mean did he ever talk to you before he came back? It took me YEARS to get his ass to acknowledge our bond; that we are like brothers," Naruto says.

"I don't think so. But he kept to himself mostly," Hinata answers.

"I'm kinda confused. You guys are like cousins or something right," Naruto asks.

"If you go back like 5 or 10 generations, yes," Hinata answers.

"Why didn't the Hyugas take him in, after the massacre," Naruto asks.

"I'm not sure. I think it was because we wouldn't know where to place him. He's obviously not a branch member in his clan; he was the son of his Clan's Head. But he's not a Hyuga, so giving him a Main House slot would have been seen as a slight to the Branch Members. Our Main House members also would have been upset. That and technically, he's a Clan Head. So there would be the possibility that if he and my father didn't get along, he could challenge him for the title later on," Hinata answers.

"Clans take this rank stuff really seriously," Naruto says.

"Yes, we do. It can literally be the difference between life and death in some cases," she responds.

"Well half of your clan are Branch Members. They are treated like slaves. You are going to be the Clan Head one day. Is there a way to, you know… help them," Naruto questioned.

"It's possible. I'm hoping to do that one day. I want to honor Neji's memory. If he couldn't be free, at least those that come after him could be. That's one tradition I want to get rid of," Hinata answers.

"I know you can do it. If anyone can soothe over all that bad blood, it's you," Naruto flashes a smile.

"Thanks," Hinata says as if she was debating about something.

"Anytime," Naruto says.

Oh fuck it. If today had taught her anything, it was at any moment, her friends could be kidnapped or even killed. She couldn't wait around for Naruto to notice her. She'd have to act.

Hinata leans over and kisses Naruto. There! Now he couldn't NOT notice, her feelings.

Naruto's eyes go wide. He kisses back on instinct. This was his third kiss. (The first two ironically enough had been with Sasuke. But those had been accidents!) Hinata was definitely kissing him on purpose and was actually a girl.

Hinata had dreamed about this moment for years. She was finally kissing Naruto. She had his complete attention. But something felt off. Naruto was a good kisser, well at least she thought so. (It wasn't like she had anyone to compare him to.) It was gentle and sweet, if a bit slow at first. Which was to be expected, as she had sneak attacked him.

Naruto breaks the kiss, blushing. Yeah, that felt wrong too. She was the shy one. He was the one who had defeated Pein and (with lots of help) Madara. In her fantasies, Naruto would kiss her more passionately, with desperation. She wanted to be thrown to the ground and ravished. He was too gentle. He didn't kiss her like he NEEDED her.

"Whoa Hinata. I… like you as a friend and all but just not that way. You know what I mean? I mean you are great! You're nice and pretty, but I … well, I like someone else," he stumbles awkwardly.

She was finally getting an answer. Hinata had shown Naruto her feelings for him and he'd responded. It wasn't the response she had hoped for. But now at least she knew. It was nice to have closure in a way.

Hinata knew she should have been heartbroken. The object of her affections for years, had just "friend zoned," her. It hurt to be rejected, but nowhere near as much as she would have expected.

"But you are a great friend! I hope this doesn't change things between us," Naruto says.

"It's alright, Naruto. You are just being honest. I just had to tell you how I felt. I think… my feelings for you have changed. I expected fireworks," she starts and then realizes that he might consider that an insult to his kissing abilities, "You are a good kisser. But something was missing," she finished.

"Yeah, I get it. Wait till the bastard hears that I'm a good kisser. Oh and now I've kissed more people than him! I think anyway. He doesn't really talk about his time away from the Leaf much," Naruto says thoughtfully.

"… Naruto this is not a competition," Hinata says.

"That's a great idea! You kiss him and then you can tell us who is better," Naruto says.

"…," Hinata faints.

"Some things never change," Naruto mutters, blinking.

Meanwhile, Sasuke slowly comes to. He looks around. He was chained to a stone wall. He wasn't alone though. Next to him were Kiba and Shino.

Dammit! Dammit! He'd gotten captured. Sasuke mentally kicked himself. Next time, kill the fucker and ask questions later.

"He's awake," Kiba says.

"I can see that, Kiba. Sasuke are you injured," Shino asks.

"No. But the prick hit me with some sort of dart. I can't access my chakra," he answers.

"We got the same treatment," Shino replies.

"Fuck! The one time you could have been useful Uchiha, by blowing shit up, and your chakra network is on a time out," Kiba says.

"You are really annoying. I don't know how Hinata puts up with you, mutt," Sasuke says.

"Our time would be better spent trying to come up with a plan to get out of here, than fighting," Shino offers.

"Yeah. Guess so. Did they send a search party out for us," Kiba asks.

"Yes. That's how I got here. Green eyes, wanted me to go with him and his group of revolutionaries to start a more streamlined government. One that only had a single Kage, instead of five," Sasuke explains.

"You traitor! You aren't even back a year and are trying to start a new World Order," Kiba yells.

"Kiba, if he took the offer, do you really think he would be chained to a wall," Shino sighs.

"… Good point. Alright you are still an ass, but you aren't at traitor again, yet," Kiba sorta apologizes.

"And you're still a loudmouth mutt. But whatever, what do we know," he asks.

"My insects have scouted the place. We are in an old fortress. One that I think was used by your clan. They can tell it was recently flooded. There are about two dozen ninjas guarding the place. Most of them blind," Shino answers.

"How far are we from the Leaf," Sasuke questions.

"About half a day," Kiba answers.

"That's bad. If we can get out of here, we could be home by tomorrow," Sasuke replies.

"Shhh, someone's coming," Shino says.

Sarburo enters the room. He presses a button on a remote control device. It releases Sasuke's chains from the wall. He makes a motion for Sasuke to follow him.

"Don't try anything. Your chakra network is down. While you would be able to take me with Taijutsu, if you try it, you will be shocked by the collar," Sarburo says.

Sasuke looks at his neck and indeed there was a collar. Fuck. He must have slipped it on him, while he was passed out. The raven haired man follows the older one into the next room.

"I really do regret how this has gone so far. As I said, it was my intention to revive your mother, to show that you can trust us. Things got out of hand. It is regrettable that the Hyuga was a casualty of war," he says.

"If you don't take this God Damn collar off me and let us go, I will kill you," Sasuke glares.

"For now, it stays on…at least until you have reconnected with your old self. It is unfortunate that we were not able to revive her sooner and thus begin our glorious Revolution before this change in you occurred. I have absolute faith in you, that you will make the right decision in time," Sarburo says.

"You terrorized my mother. You killed a family member of my friend. You kidnapped two Leaf Shinobi. You fucking kidnapped me and blocked my chakra. You and your Revolution can go fuck yourselves," Sasuke says.

"That's the fighting spirit, we wanted to see. Pity it's not aimed at the correct targets yet," he responds.

"You got lucky with that needle. It won't happen again," Sasuke hisses.

"Well I suppose we'll just have to start reeducating you. Your records do indicate that you were always a quick study," he muses.

"Reeducate me," Sasuke growls.

"Yes, it's important to know who your real enemies are," he says.

Back in the Leaf, Mikoto was in her room. She was still sobbing. The Matriarch should have seen this coming. No one would go through the trouble to bring back someone from the dead and just forget about them. This was all her fault.

Kakashi to his credit, hadn't left her side. Like most men, a crying woman was something that made him uncomfortable. This was definitely not covered in the Ninja Handbook. Though, he was determined to console her at least enough to make sure she didn't do something stupid.

"Mikoto, it will be alright. If there is one thing that Sasuke is good at, it is surviving," Kakashi soon joins her on the bed.

"I should have seen this coming. Of course they were going to come back," she chokes out.

"But we didn't know when. It's not your fault. I'm sure Sasuke doesn't think so either. They wanted him for something. They won't hurt him. For all we know, he might be on his way back home, now," he runs his hand over her back soothingly.

""I hope so. Sasuke was always my baby. Itachi grew up in a world too cruel. He never got a chance to be a child. Sasuke didn't after the massacre, either really. But at least for the first few years, he had a happy, normal childhood. Itachi was born an old soul and they promoted him too quickly through the Academy and even made him an ANBU Captain at 13. Neither of them had a real chance," she hiccups out.

"It's just the way of the world. I know that he's so happy to see you back. I've known the boy since he was 12. I've never seen him this way. We'll get him back and you two can have the life, you should have had in the first place," Kakashi says and pulls the brunette into his arms.

"My father killed himself. I felt abandoned. I understand why he did it now though. Sasuke at least, knows you didn't abandon him. He won't betray the village, if for no other reason, than he knows you are here. He's smart. He'll get out and we'll keep looking," he says.

It was at that moment, that Naruto peeks in. Seeing Mikoto in Kakashi's lap and having traveled with Pervy Sage, made his mind jump to the wrong conclusion. He blushes and flails.

"Sorry, I didn't know you guys were busy. But it's Hinata. She's fainted," he says.

Mikoto blinks and rises to her feet. She asks Naruto to show her where Hinata was. The blonde complies with the request and Mikoto kneels down by the Hyuga Heiress. She checks her vitals.

"She's alright. I think she was just surprised by something," Mikoto says.

"Naruto, what did you do," Kakashi asks in an amused tone.

"Well we were talking. Hinata kissed me. We decided we should stay friends. There's not you know, a spark or whatever. She said I was a good kisser though. So I said that she should kiss Sasuke; so she can tell us who is better at it. I didn't think it'd make her faint," Naruto says.

"Naruto, you have so much to learn about women," Kakashi says with a sigh.

Mikoto blinks. A kissing contest? Alright, now she had heard it all. Naruto definitely lived up to his nickname of being the number one, hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja. Well boys would be boys she supposed.


	10. Chapter 10

Mother Knows Best

 **Author's Note** : Thanks for all the feedback.

 **Warnings:** I mostly faded it out, but there are some heavy makeout sessions here. I feel like the fight scenes were a bit lacking, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Next chapter will probably be the last one for this story. **Damn Roses** , my other story, is still going on and I do have lots of plot bunnies floating around. ^^ So please check out my profile if interested, for new stories in the near future.

Chapter Ten

Without access to his chakra, Sasuke wasn't able to dispel what he knew was a Genjutsu being cast on him. It all looked so real. That was because it was real. This was one of his memories. One that he'd never be able to erase from his mind, as long as he lived.

It was the night that his clan was massacred. There was blood everywhere. He had walked in on Itachi. The fact that he knew why it had happened now, didn't make it any easier to see.

 _They'd all still be alive, if it wasn't for the Leaf. Your family helped to found this village. How do they repay you? By having one of your own cut you all down, save for you._

Sasuke saw the younger version of himself, leaning over his parents corpses. He was sobbing. Then he realized he wasn't alone.

 _Turning your beloved brother into their own personal villain. He was such a well placed scapegoat. He'd do anything to save you, even if that meant killing the rest of your family. Half of your life was based on a lie, to protect that village._

"JUST SHUT UP! He died to protect me and the village," Sasuke screams in his own mind.

 _And he wouldn't have had to do that, if they didn't isolate your clan in the first place. They coveted the Sharingan, but they never trusted your family._

Here flash images of the Uchiha District. The Uchiha District had been basically a mini village. When Sasuke had been little and gone further into the village, he'd always been proud to walk alongside his family. Everywhere he went, people would look at them. As a child, he'd basked in the attention. Now he realized the stares were both admiration and fear.

"It doesn't matter! Placing blame won't bring them back," he says.

 _It brought your mother back though. I, a stranger, did more for you than that village ever did. What have they done for you besides, holding you against your will?_

Sasuke couldn't argue with the logic of that. Then again, bringing back the dead for good was supposed to be impossible. That necklace was a myth. (At least that's what he thought until a couple weeks ago.)

 _If you join us, you have the chance to start fresh. You, your mother, your mother's lover, and if you desire, you can bring the Hyuga girl with you. Her eyes could prove an asset on the battlefield._

Sasuke decided now wasn't the time to correct the man about his mother's relationship status. He would KNOW if they were doing THAT. Without his chakra, he'd have to endure the Genjutsu for days. It could break his mind. Maybe a change in tactics was in order. If he could get out of the cuffs at least, he might be able to escape… with Shino and the mutt.

"Release me and we'll talk. You raise some valid points," he says.

 _You're smart to try to pretend to be cooperative. But I've studied you long enough to know you are more stubborn than that. That's alright. I'm sure in a few days, you'll understand things better._

At some point during the night, Mikoto must have fallen asleep sobbing. She woke up, in Kakashi's arms. She found she quite liked the cozy feeling of being snuggled up, next to the silver haired ninja.

Mikoto blamed the stress. But a childish part of her couldn't help but, be curious. What was under that mask? She could see a scar on the side of his face with the Sharingan.

What little she could make out of it, was not unattractive though. Most ninjas proudly wore their scars. It was a way to saying, _I stared death in the face and won. I am an experienced ninja. Do not mess with me._ She reaches to undo his mask.

Just then Kakashi turned into a log. She blinks. A substitution jutsu? Then where was the real Kakashi?

"I had a feeling you might try that," she hears him chuckling and sees him leaning against the door.

Kakashi couldn't help but laugh. Like mother, like son it seemed. Even Sasuke had joined with Sakura and Naruto to try to see what was under his mask. Truthfully, he was glad that it gave something to take her mind off of worrying over Sasuke.

"Can't blame a girl for trying," she rubs the back of her head sheepishly.

"It's alright. Everyone does sooner or later. Even my team did," he says.

"Thanks for staying with me. But I'm still going to get that mask off you one day," she smiles determinedly.

"I've created a monster. Well you'll probably want to chang. I'm going to check on Hinata," he says.

"Alright. I'll be there in a few minutes," Mikoto stretches and Kakashi heads to "Hinata's room."

It was strange. They hadn't all been living together that long. But after being a lifelong bachelor, he'd become accustomed to sharing his home with three other people, shockingly quickly. Then again Hinata was so quiet and sweet; that wasn't surprising. Sasuke was well enjoyable to tease. And his mother, well she fun and he couldn't complain about the view.

Sometime during the night, Naruto had left. So Hinata was alone. Well almost alone. Snowball was doing his best to try to distract her. The furball was very proud of the mouse he'd killed.

"Morning, Hinata," he couldn't call it a good morning for obvious reasons.

"Kakashi," she nods at him.

"So I hear that Naruto was being a knucklehead last night. Something about a kissing contest," he chuckles.

Hinata blushes, "I'm alright. He just shocked me is all. I can't believe he'd say something like that. I know he was only playing though."

"Don't be too sure. Those two boys compete in everything. Naruto might talk Sasuke into it. I'm sorry that things didn't work out for you and Naruto. But one's first love, is very rarely their last love," he offers in what he hoped was a decent imitation of a fatherly voice.

Hinata manages a half hearted laugh, "You don't think they'd seriously try that," she asks.

"It's a very real possibility. I think half the reason Naruto liked Sakura is because she liked Sasuke. Whatever you do Hinata, don't get a Genin team if you want to keep your sanity intact. It's almost a given that a love triangle will form. I"d say they should have two girls on each squad instead, but there are less girls at the academy. It's just the way the math works," he muses.

Mikoto had finished dressing and comes to Hinata's room. Ah ha. Now was the perfect opportunity, while Kakashi was talking to Hinata. She could grab the mask quick and see what was underneath. She inches forward. Victory was within her grasp.

She was just reaching for it, when she felt a gloved hand grab her. Kakashi flipped her over his head and she lands on Hinata's bed. He shakes his head and smiles.

"It was a nice try. I do give you full credit for stealth. Unfortunately, your perfume gave you away," Kakashi says.

"But I don't wear any perfume," Mikoto says in confusion.

"Oh then I guess you just smell like jasmine naturally," he answers.

"Mmm, I suppose so," Mikoto looks up at him.

Hinata at this point, picks up Snowball. She then slinks out of the room. The blunette figured it was best to give them some privacy.

She hoped one day, someone would look at her, the way Kakashi looked at Mikoto. She had his undivided attention. So much so, that the Jonin didn't even notice Hinata leaving the room. (Which was saying something as a ninja, particularly Jonins were taught to always be aware of their surroundings.)

Naruto meanwhile needed to talk to someone. He figured Shikamaru was as good a choice, as any. Besides, he was super smart. Shikamaru might be able to think of something the others hadn't yet. With that in mind, he goes and finds the lazy ninja.

"Yes, I heard about the kidnappings. They even got Sasuke? These people know what they are doing. The fact most of them are blind, means this was tailored. They knew that they were dealing with Uchihas and that was the best defense against the Sharingan. To be willing blind themselves, shows tremendous dedication to whatever cause they have. It sounds like a cult to be honest. This is such a drag," Shikamaru says as he looks up at the clouds.

"Yeah this is bad. So far no one's been able to put up a trail. I know they will contact us though. If they really want Sasuke to do something; they'll probably try to grab his mom too," Naruto says.

"More than likely. I don't know if they have a grudge against Hyugas or if they were just an easy scapegoat. It almost looks like they were trying to start a Clan Feud. The fact Hinata's teammates were taken would normally indicate they were targeting the Hyuga Clan. But the message on the wall referenced Mikoto. So it could be that Sasuke's family and Hinata's are both equally targeted. I think it may have to do with the fact that Sasuke was seen with Hinata in public, at least twice," he ponders.

"You really think that has something to do with," Naruto asks.

"The Hyugas and Uchihas largely ignored each other. There isn't really a reason for someone who trying to grab Sasuke to kill a Hyuga. Unless they just are interested in the eyes of both clans. Which is possible. Though that doesn't seem to be the motive here. They kidnapped Sasuke. He could have darted him with something fatal and then taken his eyes, if that was the goal." Shikamaru theorizes.

"Well yeah that makes sense. So you think that maybe they were going after Hinata's family, because Sasuke is friends with her now," Naruto asks.

"That's exactly what I'm thinking. The only other person he's close to besides his mother, is you. You aren't an easy target. Hyugas preparing for Hinata's Introduction meant that they had lowered their guard. They were too busy with preparations. So they took the opportunity to write threatening message, knowing that we'd investigate. They wanted Sasuke. Hinata's family was an easy way to get to him," Shikamaru continues.

"We need to find out where he is. So we can kick these creep's asses," Naruto says.

"Yes, I can't imagine they are planning to use Sasuke for anything good," Shikamaru replies.

Meanwhile, at the Uchiha Fortress (where Sasuke, Kiba, and Shino are being held), Kiba winces as he hears Sasuke's scream of agony.

"What the fuck are they doing to him? I never thought I"d hear him yell like that," Kiba says.

Kiba didn't like Sasuke. Even before he'd left the Leaf, he'd always struck the dog lover as a stuck up prick. But he couldn't deny that Sasuke had an extremely high pain tolerance. He was also way too proud to cry like that, unless something seriously bad was going on. Sasuke was many things; a wimp was not one of them.

"Most likely Genjutsu. His tolerance of pain is too high for them to use physical torture effectively. They want him in one piece afterall. My guess, they are trying to brainwash him," Shino answers.

"Shit! He's already unstable enough without them poking around in his mind," Kiba replies.

"Exactly. Without the ability to access his chakra, he can't undo it. He's a sitting duck at the moment. So are we for that matter. Hopefully Lady can get back to the Leaf in time," Shino says.

"Lady," Kiba asks in confusion.

"She's a ladybug; so I call her Lady," Shino answers.

"… You are very creative there Shino," Kiba says.

"Oh shut up. It is our best shot," he twitches.

Sasuke was in his own personal Hell. The massacre, Itachi's death, and some traumatic shit that happened at the Sound were all playing. Sometimes the events would be narrated by people he knew. Currently, it was a fake Hinata who was his tormentor.

 _Sasuke you have to leave them. You'll end up like Itachi if you don't. Sooner or later they will use you and discard you. They are just upset that you discarded them first. Don't you want your mother to be safe?_

This Hinata takes him by the hand and leads him back to the scene of the massacre again. This particular Genjutsu hit him hard. He knew it wasn't real, but it felt and looked so real. Even the feeling of her soft hand against his, was exactly like in real life.

"It won't happen again. I won't let it happen. I'm not a kid anymore. I"ll," he starts to say.

 _"You'll what? Notice their treachery? You can't be everywhere at once, Sasuke. It only takes one person to plant the seeds of doubt into their head and they'll give the kill order. They'll do it behind Naruto's back of course. But they will do it,"_ fake Hinata caresses his cheek.

"I won't let it happen," he says to her.

 _"In the Leaf you'll always be in his shadow. The only reason they accepted you back is because they believe Naruto can stop you if you snap. They'll never fully trust you. We can leave. If we were to marry, you'd be the head of my clan and could free the branch members," she says._

"Now I know this is an illusion. Hinata is a romantic; she wouldn't propose marriage unless she was in love," Sasuke glares at the fake Hinata.

Sarburo decided to change tactics. He projects an image of Fugaku. If Sasuke's friend wouldn't work, perhaps his father would.

 _Protect your mother. Hashirama and Madara once worked together. Look what happened to our family as a result. Leave while you still can._

On and on it went. Family members, former teachers, peers, former teammates, and Hinata. Yes, Hinata got her own category in his mind. Sasuke was too far gone to question the logic of what small sliver of sanity he still had left.

It grew harder and harder to tell which was the Genjutsu and which was real. Sasuke was mentally drained. His head felt fuzzy. He was on the verge of collapse.

Meanwhile, Lady finally made the long journey back to the Leaf. Half a day for a ninja, was a very different journey for an insect. Lady immediately goes looking for Hinata.

She lands on her shoulder. Shino being smart, had realized that to his teammates, a bug was a bug. They couldn't tell the difference between a regular one and one of his insects. So he had painted lady a bright purple.

Hinata blinks when a purple ladybug lands on her shoulder. It had to be one of Shino's. She'd never found a purple ladybug naturally. She rushes to Kakashi and Mikoto.

"It's one of Shino's. She'll show us the way to where they are holding them. We have to get the others," she says excitedly.

"We are going now," Mikoto bites summons a hawk.

"Tell the others to follow our trail," she says to the bird and it nods, flying off.

Kakashi, Hinata, and Mikoto take off after the Ladybug. Shortly after, they are joined by Naruto. Naruto was running at break next speed.

"Naruto, slow down. We have to follow Lady. She's the only one who knows where we are going," Hinata says.

"Who is Lady," he looks around confused.

"Lady is one of Shino's insects. She's taking us to where the others are being held.

"Oh…yeah, got it," he says sheepishly.

Some of the other ninjas from the village, catch up to them. They follow the purple Ladybug. Mikoto tenses when they arrive. This is where she was brought back.

"Careful. These ninjas are well trained. Don't underestimate them. I don't know if he's called in reinforcements or not," she warns her fellow Leaf Villagers.

They spread out, trying to be stealthy. They didn't want to alert the Kasai of their presence. Their goal was to rescue their comrades, not to engage in a battle if they didn't have to.

Unfortunately, for them Kara spotted them. She blows a whistle. It seemed to be a signal because dozens of enemy ninja soon come out.

The fighting was vicious. Jutsus of all kinds were being thrown. The sounds of kunais and swords clashing could be hard. Sickening cracks of bones when punches and kicks connected.

Kiba hears the fighting and tries his best to lean out the window. He yells with all his might. He had to try to warn them.

"SASUKE'S BEEN BRAINWASHED. HE'S NOT IN HIS RIGHT MIND," he screams.

That gets everyone's attention. Momentarily the Leaf ninjas and the Kasai cease their fighting in a state of shock from the outburst and/or news. That's when Sarburo decides to undo Sasuke's restraints. His chakra was back and he was suitably "reeducated."

"Sasuke," Naruto calls out and rushes over to him.

The raven haired man narrows his eyes. His Sharingan actives. He casts his jutsu, "Amaterasu," he yells.

"Bastard, don't do this. I don't know how they messed around with your head, but you are stronger than that," Naruto says.

The two of them were in a circle surrounded by the black flames. Sasuke walks closer. The killer intent was radiating off him.

"Itachi chose the village over our family. Now it's my turn to make a decision. The Leaf will ALWAYS betray my clan. No matter what you do Naruto. It will happen. But you won't leave me alone. You chased me all over the Five Nations. So the only way, that I'm going to be free of that damn village, is to kill you," he says and starts charging up a Chidori.

Naruto couldn't believe it. After everything, some blind cult of losers had fucked with the bastard's mind. He knew that Sasuke wasn't in control of himself. But he couldn't let him kill him. He'd have to play defense and hopefully knock Sasuke out. Then they could take him back to the village and find a way to fix this. Believe it!

"Rasengan," Naruto yells as he tries to match Sasuke's Chidori.

"This time, I won't lose. I have someone worth fighting for now," Sasuke and Naruto clash.

While the two members of Team Seven were going at it, the fighting between the Kasai and Leaf Ninjas had restarted. Guy slams one of them into the ground. But someone sneaks up behind him and stabs him in the back literally. Blood flood freely from his wound.

Kakashi rushes to aid his friend. But the silver headed ninja was blocked by Sarburo. The two summon water dragons and their dragons lock in deadly combat.

Mikoto was desperately trying to get to her son. The only problem was so many enemy ninjas were charging at her. The Genjutsu user slams them with horrific images. But more and more just kept coming.

"Sasuke! Naruto," Hinata cries out using a not so gentle fist, to clear her way towards the fighting men.

By this time, Naruto and Sasuke each had landed blows. Sasuke's left eye was swollen shut and Naruto likely had suffered a broken rib or two. But they were still going at it. That was until a cry of pain is heard from the Hyuga heiress.

Hinata had been fighting her way over. But one of the Kasai had done a sneak attack, there was now a kunai lodged firmly in her side. Hinata being injured, seemed to snap Sasuke out of his daze.

He parts the flames and races over. With one swing of a sword, he stabbed Hinata's attacker straight through the heart. It was an instant kill.

"Hinata, are you okay," Sasuke asks.

"I'm fine, I've had worse," she starts to say.

"Damn it," Sasuke hears Sarburo growl.

"Well if she's what is standing in your way, towards a glorious path, I'll just have to get rid of her. It's for your own good," Sarburo sneaks passed Kakashi and races towards Hinata, with a sword.

Sasuke flits off, getting between the enemy ninja and Hinata. He was prepared to take the blow. He shuts his eyes, preparing for the impact. When it didn't come a few seconds later, he opens them. Somehow Kakashi had taken it for him. The sword had pierced into the older ninja's stomach and he was bleeding heavily.

"KAKASHI," Mikoto cries out.

"You are going to pay for that," Sasuke and Naruto growl out at the same time.

Let's just say that between the Chidori and Rasengan, there wasn't very much of Sarburo left. It was… quite the messy kill. Blood splattered all over Naruto and Sasuke.

"Sakura! Karin! Kakashi and Hinata need medics, now," Sasuke calls out.

Karin rushes over to Kakashi. The red head let the Jonin bite her. Mikoto watches the two nervously. If only, she had started on those medic classes earlier.

Sakura hops over to Hinata. Her injury was less serious. But that didn't stop Naruto AND Sasuke from hovering around nervously.

"Yo, Kakashi, a little help," Guy calls out as he clashes with another Kasai.

Kakashi nods. Once healed, he rejoins the fray. He needn't have worried though. Sasuke and Naruto fought back to back and quickly took care of the rest of the remaining opponents.

Sasuke tells them where Kiba and Shino were being held. Once Hinata's teammates were free, they head back to the Leaf. After a tearful reunion, Hinata decides that Kiba and Shino were alright. The medics said they should get some rest. So she leaves the hospital with Mikoto, Kakashi, and Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't know what to say, later that evening. He was alone with Hinata. He wanted to apologize, for well everything. He felt guilty. He had put Hinata and everyone else in danger. As, he was about force the words out of his mouth, he noticed something white in Hinata's pocket. It was the white rose he gave her.

"You kept it," he asks.

"Of course I did. It was a gift and it's really pretty. I know what you are going to say. It's not your fault. You snapped out of it. Everyone is going to be okay," she smiles reassuringly.

"It's not okay. I put everyone in danger. That likely won't be the only time someone tries get to me, through the people I care about," he says.

"Sasuke, that's the life of any ninja," Hinata says.

She knew this was as low blow. But she hated to see Sasuke look so guilty. It was out of character for the confident ninja she knew. Well Kakashi had said they probably would make a competition out of it.

"You know Naruto told me that your first two kisses were with him," Hinata says.

"…That was random. They were accidents! I am NOT gay," Sasuke scoffs and looks away, crossing his arms.

Hinata couldn't help but smile. It was funny to see one of the most dangerous ninjas in the world, act like an embarrassed Academy student. She decided to press her luck.

"I told Naruto how I felt and kissed him. We decided we were better off as friends, there was no spark. He said you should kiss me, so I can tell you two who is the better kisser," she smiles.

"… He is such an idiot," Sasuke answers.

"Should I tell him you concede," Hinata asks.

"Wait you are OK with that sort of contest," Sasuke blinks.

"I wouldn't have mentioned it, if I wasn't," she replies.

"Oh alright then," Sasuke fumbles.

Honestly, he'd never even kissed a girl. Naruto was his first and second kiss. Those were accidents. They didn't really count. He felt a bit nervous. He never got nervous.

In an unexpected turn of events, it was Hinata who made the first move. She leans over and gently brushes her lips against his. Well that did it. YEARS of repressed hormones bubbled to the surface.

Sasuke decided he VERY much liked Hinata's soft lips against his. She tasted sweet like honey and vanilla. It didn't take long for the last male Uchiha to pin the Hyuga Heiress under him. His mouth plundering hers. Hinata shyly kisses back at first, then she wraps her arms around his neck, and returned the kiss with equal passion.

Now THIS is what she had wanted from Naruto. She wanted passion. She wanted fireworks. Sasuke was VERY good at fireworks.

She wondered if it had something to do with being from a clan so associated with fire, but decides she didn't kiss. Hinata was so caught up in enjoying these new sensations, that she didn't even try to conceal her soft moans of pleasure.

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Mikoto were in the other room. Mikoto was fussing over Kakashi's now healed injury. It was honestly rather flattering, that she was this concerned.

"Mikoto, I'm fine. I promise, I"ve had far worse. Karin healed me," he smiles.

"You took a blow meant for my son. Ever since I've been revived, you have been taking care of us. Let me take care of you," she says.

"Alright," Kakashi puts his hands up in surrender.

"Good," Mikoto leans in, pretending she was going to take his temperature.

Kakashi was completely unsuspecting. Mikoto grabbed the mask. She blinks, stunned.

"Now, I know why you keep the mask on. Women would be trying to jump you constantly, otherwise," she says.

"…I should have expected you'd try to get the mask," Kakashi says.

"It's alright, you can have the mask back after I'm done taking care of you," Mikoto says.

"Mikoto, I'm fin-," Kakashi never got to finish his sentence, as Mikoto captures his lips in a kiss.

Kakashi soon found out that Mikoto was a lady with her own language. When she said take care of you, what she really meant was, _I'm going to screw our brains out._ Mikoto seemed to enjoy a slower, more sensual pace of lovemaking. She loved to tease.

Well that was just fine with Kakashi. He preferred to savor the act himself. He spends the entire night with his new lover. As so often happened with ninjas, they got carried away. We are sad to inform you that Kakashi's bed was brutally murdered under the heat of their passion. That mattered little though, as the two ninjas lay in each other's embraced, the picture of contentment, and soon drifted off. All was right with the world.


	11. Chapter 11

Mother Knows Best

Author's Note: Thank you for all the feed back for this story. This will probably be the last chapter. ^^ I'm very happy that this story is receiving as much attention as it has. If you have any requests for new story ideas or pairings, please let me know.

Warnings: Some suggestive scenes. The story is rated M for a reason. One reviewer requested a Kakashi and Mikoto lemon. This isn't quite a lemon, but it's further than I've gone in other chapters. It's also Uchiha mating season. So we can expect some Mini Uchihas in the near future. I did add an extra ability to the Sharingan, for comedic purposes. Enjoy J

Chapter 11

The next day, Mikoto headed off to the hospital. She was eager to learn about medical jutsus now. She never wanted to feel as helpless as she had in that battle against Sarburo and the Kasai again.

Elsewhere, Hinata blushing at how she had acted the night before, told Sasuke that she had to check in with her clan. Sasuke knew this was true. Hinata wasn't a liar. She did need to check in with them. But mostly, he saw it for what it was. It was an excuse to process the "contest" last night.

Sasuke was rather pleased to report that he was positive he won, thank you very much. Of course this was only one woman's opinion. But she was the only girl he had any intentions of kissing…so the only one's whose opinion counted, in Sasuke's mind anyway.

Which meant that it was just Sasuke and Kakashi left in the house. It was lunch time. So the two men were eating.

"Well I wouldn't have expected that. It's always the quiet ones," Kakashi muses.

"Wouldn't have expected what," Sasuke asks suspiciously

"That Hinata would be the type to leave a hickey," he tries not to laugh, but couldn't completely hold back a chuckle.

"What the Hell are you talking about," Sasuke asks.

"Your neck. There's a hickey on it," Kakashi answers.

Sasuke immediately checks. Shit! Yes, there was a hickey. Alright, new rule back to the high collars. He didn't mind having Hinata's mark on him; but she was very shy. He didn't think that the bluenette wanted the entire village to know that she was a biter.

Sasuke hated to admit it. But he could feel his own face heating up. He had no idea why he was so embarrassed at Kakashi having "caught" him. Maybe because the relationship was so new.

"….," Sasuke says.

"It's fine Sasuke. I'm happy for you and her. I have to admit I'm surprised. I always thought she would end up with Naruto. But you two balance each other out well. I see you even bring out a more… aggressive side of her. That mark looks like it is going to last for days," he says cheerfully.

"…Says the man who broke his bed. I wonder HOW that could POSSIBLY have happened," Sasuke twitches.

"Touche. Well there's no point in hiding it. Your mother and I…greatly enjoy each other's company. I hope our being together doesn't upset you, " Kakashi says.

Kakashi did hope that for a couple reasons. One Sasuke was his former student. He would always have a soft spot for the sullen youth. The second, if Sasuke disapproved Mikoto would kick him to the curb.

"If I had an issue with it, you'd already be dead. You hurt her in any way and I will kill you," Sasuke says as he bites into his breakfast muffin.

"Noted. I wouldn't expect any less," Kakashi says.

"So I take it from the size of that hickey, that you won the Kissing Contest," he adds, trying not to laugh.

"Oh I DEFINITELY won," Sasuke answers back smugly.

Sasuke couldn't help but remember the night before. He'd been talking to Hinata, when she told Sasuke that she had told Naruto how she felt. She'd even kissed him. He couldn't lie, that had hurt. It'd been like a kunai in the heart actually. But he'd live with it.

Hinata had been in love with Naruto for years. He wanted her to be happy and if that was with the idiotic blonde, well he'd live with that. (Even if Naruto was completely oblivious and any male with a pulse would have known Hinata was interested in him years ago. )

She'd said something about there not being a spark, that they had decided to just be friends. Sasuke felt more happy about that than he ever would have admitted outloud. So happy in fact, that he'd almost missed what she said about the Kissing Contest.

He'd been shocked when she kissed him. But well, Sasuke had never been one to let an opportunity slip pass him. Her lips were so soft and she tasted sweet. He'd pounced and had her pinned to the bed, before his mind had even caught up with what his body was doing.

Sasuke liked to think he had a good vocabulary. He had been praised as a prodigy as a child. But there really were no words to describe how GOOD that had felt. He particularly liked it when she made those soft moaning sounds or arched underneath him.

Then she bite his neck and well he lost it. His Sharingan had activated and killed the mood. Hinata was worried about him. He didn't get it. He'd mastered it years ago. It didn't activate without him wanting it to.

Sasuke didn't realize it, but his Sharingan had activated AGAIN. Well at first he didn't realize it. He did when Kakashi started laughing at him.

"What is so damn funny," Sasuke asks.

"Guess she wasn't the only one to get carried away. You were young when your clan died. So they probably didn't think they needed to tell you yet. The Sharingan responds to strong emotions. Usually this is when you are angry or in fear for your life. A little know fact, it also responds to when you get excited in OTHER ways," Kakashi explains.

"….Are you trying to tell me that it acts as a," Sasuke wasn't even able to finish that sentence.

"A way of telling your partner that you are excited, such as an erection or for women getting," Kakashi begins.

"Shut it Kakashi! I get the point," Sasuke wondered if it was possible to die of embarrassment.

"You may want to wear one of your high collared shirts. Naruto would certainly notice that. It would be amusing, I don't want the village destroyed, over something like that," Kakashi advises.

"Definitely wearing the high collar today," he sighs.

Hinata had just gotten done telling her clan that she was okay and was heading back to their house, when she was suddenly swarmed. Ino, Tenten, and Sakura were the swarmers.

"Hi guys," she smiles, a little nervously as she felt like she was being cornered.

Tenten decides she should probably start the questioning. Sakura and Ino would probably scare Hinata to death. She shakes her head in amusement.

"Everyone was wondering what happened with you and Sasuke. He was brainwashed to the max, but when you were injured he snapped out of it," she says and gives Ino and Sakura looks like don't overdo it.

"Well," she does a nervous hand gesture.

"Come on tell us," Sakura said.

"Quite billboard brow. You'll scare her," Ino shouted.

"Shut it, Ino Pig," Sakura said.

"It's a long story really. But I think we are dating now," Hinata manages to get out.

They hadn't officially said it. But they had kissed, a lot. That had to mean something, right? She'd never seen Sasuke with anyone. Naruto even said that their only kisses were accidental and with each other. He was many things, but a playboy wasn't one of them.

"Are you serious," Ino blinks.

Sakura blinks, "That's not possible. I mean you are so shy and Sasuke is," she starts to say something, but someone was approaching.

"Not," Sasuke asks as he walks over.

He'd left lunch. Kakashi was fucking embarrassing the Hell out of him. He seemed to relish teasing the stoic Uchiha about his newfound sexuality. It was gentle ribbing, but he wasn't used to it. He had to get out of there.

When he'd gone for a walk around the village to stretch his legs, he saw three girls corner Hinata. Shit. This can't be happening already.

Actually, he took that back. This was a WONDERFUL opportunity. He could get the harpies out of his hair forever and show Hinata that he was serious about her.

"She's usually shy. But she wasn't last night," he wraps his arms around Hinata's waist.

Hinata blushes redder than Sasuke's beloved tomatoes, "I I… Sasuke," she looks up at him.

"… This is actually for real," Sakura and Ino blink three times.

"Yes, it is. Do you need proof," Sasuke smirks, finding he was rather enjoying this little performance.

"Proof like how," asks Tenten curiously.

"She gave me a lovebite," Sasuke answers.

"SASUKE," Hinata couldn't believe he told them that.

The two fan girls immediately fainted. Tenten looked close to it. She looked like she couldn't believe that Hinata had done that to well anyone, let alone Sasuke Uchiha.

"Um I think I"ll go get them some medical attention," Tenten says.

"Goo-d idea, Tenten. I hope they'll be ok-ay," Hinata was still flabbergasted by Sasuke's actions.

"Hinata, I love you. I love how kind you are, I love the way you kiss, your loyalty, and your effect on my fan girls," Sasuke says smugly.

"You l-ove me," Hinata asks.

"Well.. Yeah," Sasuke says.

Hinata faints. Sasuke catches the swooning Hyuga. He blinks, alright that didn't go how he expected. Then again, it was Hinata. That seemed to be how she showed affection, other than lovebites.

Meanwhile, Kakashi decided he should probably check in with Guy. He'd been a little busy since the rescue mission. Besides, women weren't the only one's who gossiped.

He did have somewhat of a moral obligation to tell Guy, that he had a lover now. They were best friends. It was in the best friend handbook somewhere that you had to notify your friend, when you took a lover.

"Kakashi there you are," Guy gestures for him to have a seat at the ramen shop.

"Guy. I have something to tell you. I don't want you to cause a scene," Kakashi starts.

"Alright. I won't cause a scene, what happened," Guy asks.

"Mikoto and I are together. Sasuke approves, well as much as Sasuke ever approves of anything," he said.

"THE POWER OF YOUTH. OH THE JOYS OF LOVE! AND YOU'LL BE A STEP FATHER KAKASHI. THIS IS WONDERFUL NEWS," Guy says.

Kakashi sighs and rubs his head, "What did I say about not making a scene," he asks.

"Oh sorry. I'm just really happy for you," Guy says sheepishly.

A year later, Kakashi was appointed Hokage. Mikoto was helping him move his things into the office. The last female Uchiha seemed much more confident that Kakashi would be a good Hokage, than the silver haired ninja.

"Relax. She would not have chosen you, if she didn't believe in you. Hmm, I wonder how sturdy that desk is," she ponders.

"I know. But I just don't feel like a Kage should feel, you know? Looks pretty solid to me, why do you ask," Kakashi answered.

"I think I know a way to calm your nerves and test the sturdiness of your desk," she smiles slyly.

God he loved this woman! Mikoto smiles and sits on the desk. The brunette reaches for him and pulls him into a kiss. Kakashi was constantly amazed by the things that Mikoto could do with her tongue. Even her kiss was enough to activate his Sharingan in more ways than one.

"I have to admit, that I am starting to feel a bit better," he murmurs and couldn't resist sliding her new Jonin top off.

"Mmm good. That's what I'm here for," She nips his lower lip and reaches down to slide off his pants.

Today's choice was red silk lingerie. He quite liked it. Then again, he'd found out that Mikoto could look good in a potato sack. She did seem to enjoy dressing up for him. Didn't matter that the lingerie never stayed on long.

Mikoto smiled as she glided her hands under his shirt. She loved to tease him. That and it was always a joy to feel his lean muscles. Kakashi as she had discovered, was an extremely sensual person.

"Now lose the rest of your clothes or I'll burn them off," she looks at him with ruby red eyes. (Sasuke had inherited his shade of red from his mother it seemed.)

"As my lady wishes," He smiles and quickly discards him, Mikoto following suit.

A few hours later, Mikoto pants, and couldn't help but look at the desk approvingly. Yes, it was a sturdy desk, much stronger than the bed.

"You know the Kage's spouses get to attend the Summit free of charge. It's being held in the Land of Tea this year, they have marvelous hot springs," Kakashi says.

"I haven't been there in ages. That does sound nice," Mikoto nods, not sure where he was going with this, as she snuggled into him.

"Because, I hope you will go with me, as my wife," he pulls out a ring. (Where he hid that, Mikoto had no idea.)

"Yes," she launches into a tackle hug, straddling Kakashi on the floor.

"Excellent, with any luck we'll be able to have a double wedding," Kakashi smiles and couldn't resist caressing her rather lovely rear.

"You mean Sasuke is proposing to Hinata," she asks.

"He's planning to. We'll see if he loses his nerve or not," Kakashi says.

Sasuke was constantly astounded by the fact, the gentlest woman to have ever walked this earth, was also the only person who could make him nervous. Actually scratch that, he was fucking terrified. He wanted to do this the RIGHT way. He wanted to make it memorable for her. This meant doing something that Sasuke was not prone to doing, socializing.

The party was in full swing. This was the ninja version of a class reunion. By now, people had gotten used to seeing Sasuke and Hinata together. While Sasuke would never be the sappy type, he had no problem with PDA. This ranged from the usual handholding, wrapping his arms around her, and kissing. He also showed his affection through gifts. Hinata now had a LOT of clothes and jewelry with the Uchiha symbol on them.

Hinata had found out the hard way that Sasuke was VERY easy to make jealous. So did a few of the Leaf Villagers and foreign ninjas. One comment and BOOM they ended up in the hospital. After that, he'd given her a necklace with his clan symbol. The implication was clear, _She's taken by an Uchiha. Try something stupid and be burnt to a crisp._

This mostly flattered her. She liked being the focus of someone's attention. It was also kinda hot to see him go into a jealous rage. (After she made sure he wouldn't actually kill someone.) Though every once in awhile, it could be a little intense to put it mildly. She never feared for her safety though. For the men who even so much as looked at her, oh yeah she feared for their safety.

That wasn't to say that Sasuke was the only possessive one. More than once, Hinata had not so gentle fisted a few of Sasuke's admirers. Did they not see the fucking necklace she was wearing?

The girls were relentless. Some even going so far as to try to stalk him while he was in the shower. Yes, Hinata had found a mini camera installed in the shower one day. She'd made sure they NEVER pulled that shit again. (Sasuke seemed to find great amusement when that happened.)

Something seemed off tonight though. Sasuke wasn't his usual self. He was nervous about something.

Naruto said into the microphone, "Alright everyone. The bastard wants to say something," he hands the mic to Sasuke.

Sasuke takes the mic, "Hinata could you please come up here," he says.

Hinata blinks. She heads up to the stage though. Whatever he was about to say must have been why he'd been nervous tonight.

Well it was tradition. He didn't know who started this one knee thing. It was just awkward. But still, he got done on one knee and pulled out the box. Somehow managing to juggle the mic, without looking like he was completely fumbling.

He had thought long and hard about what he was going to say. He didn't want to come across as a complete sap or forget his planned speech. So Sasuke went with the traditional approach. There was a reason why it'd stuck around so long, right?

"Hinata, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me," he asks, really hoping she wouldn't faint. (Though over the past years, she had significantly decreased her overall fainting rate.)

"Yes," She yells and tackles him, much like how Mikoto had tackled Kakashi.

Now if they had been alone, Hell yes, Sasuke would have grabbed her ass. But they were in public. He figured that would probably detract from the dignity of the moment. Though his Sharingan activates. Thank God, those people didn't know what that meant.

"Wait to go, bastard," Naruto says, as the couple kisses.

During the Spring of that year, the largest wedding celebration that the Leaf had ever seen took place. Well it made sense in a way, it was a double wedding. It wasn't everyday that a Hokage, two Uchihas, and a Hyuga all got married at once. (Uchihas, Hyugas, and Hokages… oh my.)

The wedding was beautiful and MASSIVE. Kakashi as a Kage was required to invite the other Kages, if he didn't want to start an international incident. That meant their bodyguards, spouses, kids, and the whole nine yards came along. For his part, Sasuke invited Team Seven and Team Hawk. Hinata had to invite, well the entire Hyuga Clan and her team. Mikoto had become good friends with Kurenai, Anko, and some other women in the Leaf, so they came as well. All in all there were over a thousand people in attendance.

Kakashi's best man was Guy. That in of itself would have made it an event. Naruto was obviously, Sasuke's. Hinata's Maid of Honor was Kurenai. She'd learned a lot from her Sensai. Mikoto's Maid of Honor was surprisingly, Anko.

Many hoots and hollers were heard when they were told to kiss the bride. Sasuke for his part, had a no fucks given attitude about the crowd. He went in for a kiss that might have been a little bit too intense for most of the kiddies in the audience. (Hitmou was the ring barrier and his mother covered his eyes.) Kakashi was content with a more dignified kiss, but managed to cop a feel in there. (Nice one Kakashi, Sasuke would have to figure out how he got away with this stuff.)

To say that the couples each had happy honeymoons, was an understatement. Sasuke had discovered the joys of the Karma Sutra, much to Hinata's delight. He'd even rather sensually employed a couple shadow clones once or twice. Ah the joys of ninja sex.

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Mikoto had a grand ole time. Mikoto had bought some new outfits for their honeymoon. One of them was even the French Maid outfit, much to Kakashi's own delight.

Fast forward a month later. Hinata and Sasuke were visiting their in-laws (and in Sasuke's case his mother). Mikoto and Hinata looked very serious about something. To be honest, Kakashi and Sasuke were both a little scared.

"Hinata, are you alright? You've barely touched your food," Sasuke asks.

"Well there's something I have to tell you, Sasuke," she begins nervously.

"And that I have to tell you Kakashi. It's alright Hinata. I'll handle it. We are both pregnant," Mikoto says.

Kakashi falls out of his chair. Sasuke races over and swings Hinata around. Hinata giggles and whispers something to Sasuke.

"Twins run in my family," she said.

"That's fantastic," he yelled, spinning her around even more happily.

Kakashi recovers from his shock and gets up. He probably should have expected this. But still, he was going to be a father. He walks over to Mikoto and smiles, kissing her.

"Let's hope that it's a girl this time," Kakashi says.

Sasuke twitches, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well the brothers in your family do have a rather…complicated history," Kakashi says.

"Sasuke, don't kill your step father," Hinata kisses him.

"Oh alright. I don't want my half brother or sister to grow up without a father," Sasuke says and scoops Hinata up bridal style.

"How thoughtful of you, Sasuke," Kakashi says dryly.

"I thought so," he answers.

Kakashi not to be outdone, also picks Mikoto up bridal style and carries her off to their room. Sasuke follows, carrying Hinata. The women look at each other like, what the Hell are they planning?

They soon find out when their men, lay them on the bed. Sasuke fluffs Hinata's pillows. Kakashi pulls up the blankets over them.

"Hinata, you have to take it easy. If you need anything, just ask," Sasuke says, standing at her side, like a hawk guarding a nest.

"That goes for you as well, Mikoto. You are 36 years old. That makes you a higher risk pregnancy than most. Well unless Hinata is carrying twins. But still don't overdo it. You are on bed rest," he nods sagely.

"… Kakashi I have had TWO sons. I think I know what I am doing," Mikoto shakes her head in amusement.

Hinata whispers to her, "I guess we should humor them."

"Mmm for now at least. After awhile, we'll need to knock sense into them," Mikoto says.

"Agreed," Hinata says.

"Sasuke, could you get me some ice cream please," she smiles at him, figuring he wanted to feel useful.

Sasuke dashes off and returns with every flavor of ice cream imaginable. Well… let no one say he wasn't dedicated. Mikoto throws Kakashi a bone and asks for some water, which he quickly retrieves.

About eight months later, Hinata gives birth to fraternal twins. One was a girl with raven black hair and lavender eyes. The other was a boy with dark blue hair and onyx eyes.

Hinata smiles at Sasuke, "We can name the boy after his uncle Itachi."

"I think he'd like that. Let's hope he has a better life than Itachi did. The girl shall be named Nala, it is the closest to Neji that I can get for a girl," he replies.

"Thank you Sasuke," she smiles and the new parents look down at their children in awe.

Well Kakashi got his wish. Mikoto had a girl. She had her father's silver hair and her mother's onyx eyes. They decided to name her Suki.

"You did choose the name for yourself. So I imagine it will fit her just fine," Kakashi teases.

"Yes, I think it will due quite nicely," she smiles in amusement and kisses Kakashi.

"Oh and Mikoto, perhaps you should tell Sasuke about your little scheming. They are married with children now. He might find it amusing," Kakashi says.

"…," Mikoto says.

Hinata tilts her head, the family members having gotten a big suite for the deliveries and recovery processes, so they were in the same room, "What is it?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, "Scheming?"

"I might have used the psychological technique of priming. I figured if I mentioned her and then suggest you should dance with someone, you would be naturally primed to think about asking her to dance. She was so nice and came from a Noble Clan," Mikoto rubs the back of her head sheepishly.

"…," Sasuke is left speechless.

"Well, my mother they always say mother knows best. It worked out for the best," Hinata smiles and kisses him.

He kisses back, "Mhm."

Snowball bounds in and flirts around, sniffing the "kittens" as he called them. He pronounces them healthy and snuggles into a beautiful black cat. Her name was Akemi. Akemi's belly was bigger than expected.

"What can I say? It's Uchiha mating season," he purrs proudly.


End file.
